Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute

Korea Hydro Nuclear Power Co., Ltd.

Beong Tae Min

Jin Ho Song

Hee Dong Kim

Hwan Yeol Kim

An apparatus for passively cooling and retaining molten core material discharged from a damaged reactor vessel during a severe accident in the nuclear plant including: a molten core material retention tank to retain molten core material; a compressed gas tank storing high-pressure inert gas; a cooling water storage tank being installed higher than the molten core material retention tank; and a mixing means. The molten core material retention tank includes an outer retention vessel having at least one coolant hole, a porous protection vessel formed at an inside of the outer retention vessel, and a gravel layer formed between the outer retention vessel and the porous protection vessel. The apparatus can be installed in a reactor cavity without changing the compartment structure of a containment building, and makes it possible to prevent a steam explosion during the cooling process for the ultrahigh-temperature molten core material and to secure the reliability of the cooling process.

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Daejeon, South Korea

Beong Tae Min