Passive cooling system for nuclear reactor and method for operating the same

Abstract

Passive cooling systems and methods, in which an infinite cooling circulation occurs by itself while cooling water is passively circulated without separate operation and control of an operator and supply of an external power source in the event of an abnormality in a nuclear reactor. The passive cooling system includes an energy release space; an energy absorbing space to which a pressure in the energy release space is transferred; an energy transfer space which absorbs and cools heat transferred from the nuclear reactor vessel as the cooling water; an emergency cooling flow passage for transferring heat to the energy transfer space; a reactor thermal insulation vessel; a pressure equalization pipe to transfer water vapor and pressure in the reactor thermal insulation vessel to the energy absorbing space; and a coolant spray pipe for flowing pressurized cooling water by the pressure equalization pipe to the energy transfer space.