Primary Inventor: Krishna P. Singh
Contributing Inventor(s): Joseph Rajkumar
Date of Publication: May 26, 2020
Status: Granted
Jurisdiction: US
Assignee: SMR Inventec, LLC
Equipment Type: SMR
Docket NumberHOL-082
Application Number: 15/901,249
Patent Number: US 10,665,354 B2

Prior Publication Data: US 2014/0321597 A1; Oct. 30, 2014

Related U.S. Publication Data:

  • Continuation of application No. 14/289,545, filed on May 28, 2014, and now Pat. No. US 10,069,389 B2, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. PCT/US2013/42070, filed on May 21, 2013
  • Provisional application No. 61/828,017, filed on May 28, 2013, provisional application No. 61/649,593, filed on May 21, 2012

Japanese Patent No.: 6454692

European Patent No.: EP 3005374

Abstract: A nuclear reactor cooling system with passive cooling capabilities operable during a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) without available electric power. The system includes a reactor vessel with nuclear fuel core located in a reactor well. An in-containment water storage tank is fluidly coupled to the reactor well and holds an inventory of cooling water. During a LOCA event, the tank floods the reactor well with water. Eventually, the water heated by decay heat from the reactor vaporizes producing steam. The steam flows to an in-containment heat exchanger and condenses. The condensate is returned to the reactor well in a closed flow loop system in which flow may circulate solely via gravity from changes in phase and density of the water. In one embodiment, the heat exchanger may be an array of heat dissipater ducts mounted on the wall of the inner containment vessel surrounded by a heat sink.