Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Daniel J McDermott

Terry L Schulz

Kenneth J Schrader

The effects of steam generator tube ruptures in a pressurized water reactor are mitigated by reducing the pressure in the primary loop by diverting reactor coolant through the heat exchanger of a passive heat removal system immersed in the in containment refueling water storage tank in response to a high feed water level in the steam generator. Reactor coolant inventory is maintained by also in response to high steam generator level introducing coolant into the primary loop from core make-up tanks at the pressure in the reactor coolant system pressurizer. The high steam generator level is also used to isolate the start-up feed water system and the chemical and volume control system to prevent flooding into the steam header.

Mitigation of steam generator tube rupture in a pressurized water

A system for continuously charging containers with a flowable substance including solid material, has a first pipe, a flow sensor for detecting substance flow in the first pipe; a plurality of valved second pipes each communicating with the first pipe and extending into a respective container; a level sensor associated with each second pipe for directly responding to a predetermined height level of the solid material accumulating in each respective container; and a control arrangement connected to the flow sensor, the level sensors and the valves of the second pipes for shutting off the valve of that second pipe through which charging was in progress and simultaneously opening the valve of another second pipe which is associated with an empty, standby container, at the moment when the level sensor associated with the container undergoing charging indicates that the solids reached the 'full' level, while, at the same time, the flow sensor continues to indicate substance flow.

Growing community of inventors

Export, PA, United States of America

Daniel J McDermott