Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation

Louis K Lau

Robert Draper

Paolo R Zafred

James E Gillett

Terry L Schulz

Richard A Basel

Michael M Corletti

Vinod B Doshi

Naum I Alper

James M Toms

Randall A Holmes

Robert L Cather

A solid oxide fuel cell generator ( ) contains stacks ( ) of hollow, tubular axially elongated fuel cells ( ) which can operate to generate electricity; a single oxidant inlet plenum ( ) including a bottom enclosing member, having hole therethrough which acts as an oxidant feed tube positioning board ( ); a fuel inlet plenum ( ); an oxidant/fuel exhaust chamber ( ); power leads ( ) electrically connected to the fuel cells transverse to the axis ( &prime;) of the fuel calls; and a plurality of oxidant feed tubes ( ); all surrounded by insulation ( ); where there are at least two fuel cell stacks arranged in a row next to each other, the oxidant feed tube positioning board at the bottom of the oxidant inlet plenum is a laminate of layers of porous alumino-silicate ceramic fibers bonded with a ceramic alumina binder and dense woven ceramic ( ) impregnated with ceramic adhesive ( ), and wherein the insulation constitutes, primarily, bulk ceramic fibers.

Low-cost atmospheric SOFC power generation system

A system of extracting fluid samples, either liquid or gas, from the interior of a nuclear reactor containment utilizes a jet pump. To extract the sample fluid, a nonradioactive motive fluid is forced through the inlet and discharge ports of a jet pump located outside the containment, creating a suction that draws the sample fluid from the containment through a sample conduit connected to the pump suction port. The mixture of motive fluid and sample fluid is discharged through a return conduit to the interior of the containment. The jet pump and means for removing a portion of the sample fluid from the sample conduit can be located in a shielded sample grab station located next to the containment. A non-nuclear grade active pump can be located outside the grab sampling station and the containment to pump the nonradioactive motive fluid through the jet pump.

Fluid sampling system for a nuclear reactor

The spent fuel pit of a pressured water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plant has sufficient coolant capacity that a safety rated cooling system is not required. A non-safety rated combined cooling and purification system with redundant branches selectively provides simultaneously cooling and purification for the spent fuel pit, the refueling cavity, and the refueling water storage tank, and transfers coolant from the refueling water storage tank to the refueling cavity without it passing through the reactor core. Skimmers on the suction piping of the combined cooling and purification system eliminate the need for separate skimmer circuits with dedicated pumps.

Combined cooling and purification system for nuclear reactor spent fuel

A pressurized water nuclear reactor system includes a vortex mitigator in the form of a cylindrical conduit between the hot leg conduit and a first section of residual heat removal conduit, which conduit leads to a pump and a second section of residual heat removal conduit leading back to the reactor pressure vessel. The cylindrical conduit is of such a size that where the hot leg has an inner diameter D.sub.1, the first section has an inner diameter D.sub.2, and the cylindrical conduit or step nozzle has a length L and an inner diameter of D.sub.3 ; D.sub.3 /D.sub.1 is at least 0.55, D.sub.2 is at least 1.9, and L/D.sub.3 is at least 1.44, whereby cavitation of the pump by a vortex formed in the hot leg is prevented.

Pressurized water nuclear reactor system with hot leg vortex mitigator

Growing community of inventors

Monroeville, PA, United States of America

Louis K Lau