CA1160367A - Device for removing hydrogen gas from the containment of a nuclear reactor plant - Google Patents

Device for removing hydrogen gas from the containment of a nuclear reactor plant

Info

Publication number
CA1160367A
CA1160367A CA000384222A CA384222A CA1160367A CA 1160367 A CA1160367 A CA 1160367A CA 000384222 A CA000384222 A CA 000384222A CA 384222 A CA384222 A CA 384222A CA 1160367 A CA1160367 A CA 1160367A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
hydrogen
containment
gaseous mixture
gas mixture
casing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000384222A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Max Stiefel
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
ABB Reaktor GmbH
Original Assignee
Brown Boveri Reaktor GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Brown Boveri Reaktor GmbH filed Critical Brown Boveri Reaktor GmbH
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1160367A publication Critical patent/CA1160367A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G21NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21CNUCLEAR REACTORS
    • G21C19/00Arrangements for treating, for handling, or for facilitating the handling of, fuel or other materials which are used within the reactor, e.g. within its pressure vessel
    • G21C19/28Arrangements for introducing fluent material into the reactor core; Arrangements for removing fluent material from the reactor core
    • G21C19/30Arrangements for introducing fluent material into the reactor core; Arrangements for removing fluent material from the reactor core with continuous purification of circulating fluent material, e.g. by extraction of fission products deterioration or corrosion products, impurities, e.g. by cold traps
    • GPHYSICS
    • G21NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21DNUCLEAR POWER PLANT
    • G21D1/00Details of nuclear power plant
    • G21D1/02Arrangements of auxiliary equipment
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02EREDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E30/00Energy generation of nuclear origin
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02EREDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E30/00Energy generation of nuclear origin
    • Y02E30/30Nuclear fission reactors

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A device for the safe processing of all concentrations of gaseous mixtures using a thermal recombinator in a compact construction. For this purpose, a recombinator, which is comprised of a metallic housing and deviation surfaces arranged therein is inductively heated. The inlet piping for the hydrogen-enriched gaseous mixture and the outlet piping for the hydrogen-poor gaseous mixture are joined by means of a three-way valve. The third outlet of the safety valve conducts most of the flow of the hydrogen-poor gaseous mixture back to the containment. A requisite amount of hydrogen-poor gaseous mixture is conducted by means of the three-way valve to dilute the gaseous mixture coming from the containment, so that the hydrogen content of the gaseous mixture going to the recombinator remains below the combustion level.

Description

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A DEVICE_FOR REMOVING HYDROGEN GAS ~ROM THI~ CONTAINMENT
OF A NUCLEAE~ RE~CTOR PLANT

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to nuclear reactors and more particularly to -5a device for removing hydrogen gas from the containment of a nuclear reactor piant by using a thermal recombinator, which is comprised of a metallic housing and deviation surfaces arranged therein for the flow of gas and which has an inlet piping for the hydrogen enriched gas mixture as well as an outlet piping for the hydrogen-poor gas mixture.
10Such a device has been described by the publication "Hydrogen Recombiner .
System" of the Rockwell Company under the publication No. 523K-20 Rev.
8/79. In this system two electrical heating elements are placed in an insulatlngspace. The gas mixture enriched with hydrogen led off from the containment [
flows within the space in a large tubular scroll case. The gaseous mixture is F::
15heated above the hot air in the space and then enters the reaction chamber also placed within the space. The gaseous mixture, which is now hydrogen-poor --leaves the insulated space by means of a pipe and after transferring its residual heat to a heat exchanger, again enters the containment. This type of heating requires a large floor space. In addition, for reasons for saEety, the device can 20only be operated if the hydrogen content of the gaseous mixture introduced is less than the concentration above which explosion may occur, i.e., approximately four volume percent.
The present invention therefore takes up the problem of producing a device of the type known initially9 which has a compact heating unit and which permits 25processing all gas mixture concentrations without danger. ~`

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This problem is solved according ~o the present invention by inductively heating the walls of the housing and the deviation surfaces and by connecting the inlet piping for the hydrogen-enriched gaseous mixture to the outlet piping -S for the hydrogen-poor gaseous mixture by means of a three-way valve, whose ---third outlet conducts a portion of the hydrogen-poor gaseous mixture to the containment.
~y means of inductive heating, which does not require a great deal of space, a uniform introduction of heat, with little heat loss, is achieved up to the deviation surfaces acting as a stationary mixer surface. The gaseous mixture introduced into the recombinator is reliably maintained below the critical limitof four volume percent hydrogen by diluting the hydrogen-enriched gaseous mixture with a partial flow of the hydrogen-poor gaseous mixture In the region of the three-way valve.
The housing of the recombinator is preferably formed as an elongated tube r ....
unit, which is surrounded at least partially by a water-cooled induction coil.
In order to increase the input of heat, the region of the housing walls ,L":,:,:surrounded by the induction coil is reinforced in its construction and the deviation surfaces contact the inner surface of the walls in a type of friction 20 connection. Such an effort is obtained by welding the deviation surfaces to athick-walled piece of tubing and forming the friction connection between the - -peripheral side of the piece of tubing and the inner side of the housing walls.
According to a preferred configuration of the device, the gas flowing into the connecting pipe between the three-way valve and the containment as well 25 as into the inlet piping in the region between the containment and a recuperating heat exchanger is maintained, preferably by means of a supplemental heating unit at a temperature which is higher $han the temperature prevailing in the containment. This measure has the advantage of preventing formation of condensate in the piping system and thus there is no __ ~

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~6~3~7 -development of highly radioactive condensate outside the containment. The water forming during the combustion of the hydrogen by means of the -supplemental heater is taken up by the hydrogen-poor gaseous mixture. -. . .
,..:.,: .
BRIEF DESCRlPllON OF THE DRAWING
,-. '?' The sole Figure is a schematic diagram of a nuclear power plant steam !'''.'.''' system incorporating the preferred embodiment according to the present invention.

DETAlLED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRFD EMBODIMENT -. . .
.........
A hydrogen-enriched gaseous mixture, which has formed in an excessive 10 amount in the containment is removed from the containment 1 of a nuclear reactor plant, not shown in further detail, by means of blower 2 and inlet piping 3 and is fed into recombinator 4. Housing 5 of the recombinator is an elongated cylindrical tubular unit, which is closed semispherically at both of its ends. In the cylindrical section of the housing are placed deviation surf aces 6 of 15 stainless steel, which serve as stationary mixing surfaces. The upper half of the housing is inductively heated by water-cooled coil 7. In this way swirling flow is induced also by deviation surfaces 6 as well as by housing wall 8, so that a homogeneous temperature distribution is assured. Insulation 13 introduced on the cylindrical section of housing 5 protects the induction coil from too high a20 heat load. The self-heating of the induction coil is led off by means of cooling circuit 14. The cooling circuit is provided with checkpoints 15, 16, recuperating heat exchanger 17, cut-off armature 18 and control armature l9. It is connected to a piping system, which is not shown, by quick-action stop coupling ....

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~6~ 7 20. In the region oE induction coil 7, deviation surfaces 6 are welded to thick-walled piping piece 9, which enters into a -type of friction connection with itsperiphery extending to the inside of housing wall 8 and contacting this wall. Aneffective introduction of heat is achieved by this intimate connection. The upper half of the recombinator serves for heating up to the operational temperature of seven hundred to seven hundred fifty degrees Celcius. The time it takes for the complete reaction of the hot gaseous mixture in the lower half amounts to approximately one half (0.5) second. A homogeneous temperature distribution is achieved ~y the appropriate confi~uration of the deviation surfaces. With a flow rate of one hundred eighty cubic meters per hour (in the normal state), approximately fifty liters total volume of the recombinator is necessary in all for a total time of one second. This volume is achieved, for example, by housing 5, which is comprised of one and one half meter long tube of nominal width of twenty five centimeters. After combustion has been achieved, the now hydrogen-poor gaseous mixture leaves the recombinator via outlet piping 10. The necessary heating power of induction coil 7 is controlled by means of temperature checkpoint 11. The gaseous mixture gives up a part of its heat by flowing through recuperating heat exchanger 12. In this way the gaseous mixture flowing into inlet piping 3 is preheated. The gaseous mixture found in outlet piping 3 is cooled to sixty to sixty-five degrees Celcius in counterflow in recuperating heat exchanger 17. Control armature 19 placed in the cooling circuit for the induction coil, to which recuperating heat exchanger17 is connected, controls the flow-through quantity of coolant. The desired temperature of the gaseous mixture passing through heat exchanger 17 in counterflow can therefore be controlled in a simple way. ~he gaseous mixture cooled for the time being now reaches remote-controlled three-way valve 21.
From here most of the hydrogen-poor gaseous mixture flows through outlet 22 of the three-way valve and pipe-line 23 through flame arrester 34 and arrives back at containment 1. The remainder of the gaseous mixture goes through ::
connection pipe 3a to inlet piping 3 and serves to thin the hydrogen-enriched ::

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gaseous mixture coming from the containment. The quant;ty of the gaseous mixture brought through connecting pipe 3a depends on the hydrogen content of the gaseous mixture coming from the containment. It is con~rolled in such a way by the three-way valve that the gaseous mixture reaching the recombinator 5 is always less than four volume percent hydrogen. A dangerous explosion is thus reliably preYented~ Flowmeter units 27, 38, pressure gau~e units 29, 30, 31, temperature sensors 32, 33, and flame arrester 34 are incorporated. Pipe 23 is heated by means of a not-shown supplementary heating unit in order to keep the gaseous mixture at a temperature of sixty to sixty-five degrees Celcius. In this10 way it is assured that no condensate can form in the gaseous mixture prior toreaching the containment. In addition, the region of the inlet piping 3 between containment 1 and recuperating heat exchanger 12 is provided with a supplementary heating unit, not shown. l he temperature of the gaseous mixture flowing therein is thus kept at a higher value than the temperature 15 measured within the containment. Just as for pipe 23, this measure will present the possibility of any incidence of highly radioactive condensate occurring outside the containment. Decontamination of the device can be achieved simply with a liquid or gaseous flushing medium by means of comlections 24, 25, which are shown only up to the quick-action stop couplings 20 and which are 20 provided with cut-off armatures 2~
The above description and drawings are only illustrative of one embodiment which achieves the objects, features and advantages of the present invention and it is not intended that the present invention be limited thereto. Any modifications of the present invention which come within the spirit and scope 25 o~ the following claims is considered part of the invention.
What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

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Claims (6)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A device for removing hydrogen gas from a containment of a nuclear reactor plant by means of a thermal recombiner having a metal casing and baffle plates arranged therein in a gas mixture flow; a feed line for the hydrogen-enriched gas mixture and a discharge line for the gas mixture whose hydrogen contents has been reduced, comprising:
induction-heating means for heating a wall of the casing and the baffle plates; and, valve means for connecting the feed line for the hydrogen-enriched gas mixture and for directing a portion of the hydrogen-reduced gas mixture to the containment.
2. A device as in claim 1 wherein the casing is a longish tube body surrounded at least along a portion of its length by a water-cooled induction winding.
3. A device as in claim 2 wherein the portion of the casing surrounded by the induction winding is strengthened, and that the baffle plates are in contact with the inside of the wall in a friction-tight connection.
4. A device as in claim 3 wherein the baffle plates are welded to a thick-walled piece of piping and said piece of piping is in friction-tight contact at its circumference with an inner surface of the wall.
5. A device as in claims 2, 3, or 4 wherein a thermal insulation is fitted between the casing and the induction winding.
6. A device as in claim 1 wherein the gas flowing in a line between the valve means and the containment as well as in the feed line in a region between the containment and a recuperative heat exchanger is kept at a temperature higher than the temperature prevailing in the containment.
CA000384222A 1980-08-20 1981-08-19 Device for removing hydrogen gas from the containment of a nuclear reactor plant Expired CA1160367A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE3031378A DE3031378C2 (en) 1980-08-20 1980-08-20 Device for removing hydrogen gas from the containment of a nuclear reactor plant
DEP3031378.1 1980-08-20

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1160367A true CA1160367A (en) 1984-01-10

Family

ID=6110003

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000384222A Expired CA1160367A (en) 1980-08-20 1981-08-19 Device for removing hydrogen gas from the containment of a nuclear reactor plant

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0046246B1 (en)
JP (1) JPS5772098A (en)
AT (1) ATE12850T1 (en)
CA (1) CA1160367A (en)
DE (1) DE3031378C2 (en)
ES (1) ES505355A0 (en)

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4780271A (en) * 1985-10-02 1988-10-25 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Process and apparatus for burning gases containing hydrogen and for cooling resulting combustion gases
DE3614267A1 (en) * 1986-04-26 1987-10-29 Siemens Ag Nuclear power station having a water cooled reactor pressure vessel
JPH077096B2 (en) * 1988-04-22 1995-01-30 日本碍子株式会社 Exhaust gas recombiner
DE19503541A1 (en) * 1995-02-03 1996-08-08 Abb Management Ag Method and device for extracting the condenser gases from a boiling water reactor
DE19751171C1 (en) * 1997-11-19 1999-07-15 Forschungszentrum Juelich Gmbh Device for cooling inertized accident atmospheres and for the separation and removal of hydrogen
DE102005040158B3 (en) 2005-08-25 2007-02-22 Hansa Metallwerke Ag Single-lever mixer has housing, outlet with outflow channel, intake space whereby water flows through first flow passsage at base of space in which even-ended projections jutting out into flow passage are located
JP6034165B2 (en) * 2012-12-03 2016-11-30 株式会社東芝 Hydrogen removal device

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1498588A1 (en) * 1963-10-12 1969-05-22 Brown Boveri Krupp Reaktor Method and device for the detection and determination of gaseous or vaporous admixtures in gaseous or vaporous media
US3658996A (en) * 1969-02-03 1972-04-25 Westinghouse Electric Corp System for the removal of hydrogen from nuclear containment structures
BE788538A (en) * 1971-09-09 1973-03-08 Westinghouse Electric Corp HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN RECOMBINATION DEVICE
US3853482A (en) * 1972-01-10 1974-12-10 Universal Oil Prod Co Recuperative thermal recombining system for handling loss of coolant
US3791923A (en) * 1972-01-10 1974-02-12 Universal Oil Prod Co Recuperative thermal recombining system for handling loss of reactor coolant
US4019871A (en) * 1974-09-30 1977-04-26 General Electric Company Recombiner apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0046246A2 (en) 1982-02-24
EP0046246A3 (en) 1982-05-05
EP0046246B1 (en) 1985-04-17
ATE12850T1 (en) 1985-05-15
DE3031378C2 (en) 1983-04-07
DE3031378A1 (en) 1982-05-13
ES8306283A1 (en) 1983-05-01
ES505355A0 (en) 1983-05-01
JPS5772098A (en) 1982-05-06

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