Emergency core cooling apparatus

Abstract

Two systems of low-pressure core spray appratuses have coolers, and are adapted to supply cooling water to a core spray header provided in a core-surrounding cylindrical shroud in a reactor pressure vessel. Two systems of high-pressure core flooding apparatuses and one system of high-pressure coolant injection apparatus are adapted to supply the cooling water to a region formed between the shroud and reactor pressure vessel. The elevation of the openings, which are in the reactor pressure vessel, of the high-pressure core flooding apparatuses and high-pressure coolant injection apparatus are higher than that of the core spray header. A pipe for returning the cooling water in the reactor pressure vessel to the above-mentioned coolers is connected to either the portion of the interior of the reactor pressure vesssel which is below the core or the portion of the interior of the reactor pressure vessel which is between the walls of the shroud and reactor pressure vessel. The above-mentioned pipe is provided therein with a valve which is adapted to be closed when the nuclear reactor stops being operated in an emergency in which the breakage of a pipe occurs, and to be opened when the nuclear reactor is stopped under normal conditions.