WO1998031020A1

WO1998031020A1 - Nuclear power plant support building for cylindrical or spherical containment structures

Info

Publication number: WO1998031020A1
Application number: PCT/US1998/000582
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kenneth R. Rohde
Original assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
Priority date: 1997-01-10
Filing date: 1998-01-07
Publication date: 1998-07-16

Abstract

A nuclear power plant support building (100) is disclosed which is adapted to be compatible with either cylindrical or spherical containment structures. The support building includes a recess (110) having a curved surface (114) adapted to receive a spherical containment building of a first outer diameter (D1), but may be modified to support a cylindrical containment building (108) having a second outer diameter (D2) by placing a truncated annular filler member (106) about the cylindrical containment building (108) within the recess (110).

Description

NUCLEAR POWER PLANT SUPPORT BUILDING FOR CYLINDRICAL OR SPHERICAL CONTAINMENT STRUCTURES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/035,162, filed January 10, 1997.

The present invention relates to a nuclear power plant support building. More specifically, the present invention relates to a nuclear plant support building which is adapted to be compatible with either cylindrical or spherical containment structures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Nuclear reactors are required to be constructed within a large pressure vessel, called a containment building. The containment building encloses the entire primary system and has a number of compartments for the housing of auxiliary equipment, safety systems, and various other systems. The objective of containment is to contain any energy and materials released in the event of a severe nuclear accident. In particular, nuclear reactor containment buildings are designed to contain any potential release of radioactivity from the reactor and to protect the reactor against external natural or man-made forces such as earthquakes,^x floods, tornadoes, explosions, fires and even airplane crashes.

Containment buildings vary considerably in design from plant to plant. Many are vertical cylindrical structures covered with a hemispherical or shallow domed roof and with a flat foundation slab. Other containment buildings may be spherical in shape.

In addition to containment buildings, nuclear power plants also include many non-essential plant support systems, structures and auxiliary buildings which need not be included within the containment building. Nevertheless, these other systems and auxiliary structures and buildings must be located in close proximity to the reactor containment building. In most cases, the reactor containment building is constructed as a subspace of a larger structure comprised of support buildings and auxiliary structures.

One of the major factors influencing containment building design and placement is economic, since a containment building is one of the most expensive structures of a nuclear power plant. Containment buildings are currently usually designed in accordance with site-specific requirements established for each nuclear power plant. Likewise, present designs for nuclear plant support structures, auxiliary buildings and/or sub-spaces in a nuclear power plant are site-specific, and are adapted to accommodate a specific containment building design. Site-specific designs prevent the standardization of the support building layout in a manner which would allow the use of alternative containment geometries on any plant site. Presently, if a spherical containment is required, the physical layout of support buildings is entirely different from that necessary to support a cylindrical containment. As a result, plant support structures and auxiliary buildings may be radically different from site to site, and are unable to accommodate both cylindrical and spherical containments. Further, in the event that containment requirements are adjusted during construction of the plant, existing buildings may require modification, at great construction cost and delay, in order to support or maintain the auxiliary equipment, safety systems and other systems located within the containment building

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to solve one or more of the above- identified shortcomings of the prior art. More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a building layout which permits ready adaptation to either cylindrical or spherical type containments without costly modifications.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a building arrangement which is designed to accommodate a spherical containment but which may be easily modified by the use of filler sections to accommodate a cylindrical containment. The above objects are achieved by an arrangement wherein a reactor support building is provided with a recess including a curved surface adapted to receive a spherical containment building having a first outer diameter. The support building recess may be modified as required to support a cylindrical containment building having a second outer diameter through the addition of a truncated annular filler member, the filler member having an inner annular surface defined by the second outer diameter and having an outer annular surface defined by the curved surface of the support building recess corresponding to the first outer diameter. Thus, in order to use the same basic support building for both spherical and cylindrical containments, the building layout is adapted for spherical containments and is modified by the provision of an annular filler member in the event that a cylindrical containment is required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and inventive aspects of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description, claims, and drawings, of which the following is a brief description:

Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a support building adapted for use with a spherical containment.

Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the support building shown in Figure 1 adapted for use with a cylindrical containment according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In accordance with the present invention, a support building 100 is shown in Figure 1 for use with a spherical type containment. This arrangement is such that any plant support structures, auxiliary buildings and/or sub-spaces, generally denoted by reference 102, within support building 100 may be suitably in communication with any facilities and equipment required to be placed within spherical containment 104. Spherical containment 104 has a pre-selected outer diameter Dl. A subspace within plant support structure 102 includes a recess 110 adapted to receive spherical containment 104. In a preferred embodiment, recess 110 is a hemispherical recess having a diameter equal to Dl . As seen in Figure 2, recess 110 may be adapted to receive a cylindrical containment building 108 having an outer diameter D2 which is less than pre-selected diameter Dl . In so adapting recess 110 to receive a cylindrical containment building 108, filler material 106 is used to occupy any space within recess 110 which is not occupied by cylindrical containment 108. Filler material 106 assumes an annular form having a cross-section defined by the combined geometry of recess 110 and cylindrical containment 108. In a preferred embodiment, filler material 106 is placed within a truncated annular cavity wherein inner annular surface 112 of filler material 106 is defined by outer diameter D2 of cylindrical containment building 108, and wherein outer annular surface 114 of filler material 106 is defined by the curved surface of recess 110. Thus, when filler material 106 is placed within recess 110, building 100 is adapted to support a cylindrical containment 108.

If a flat surface is required at the base of cylindrical containment building 108, it is possible simply to add another filler (not shown) to fill the dished portion used to support the base of cylindrical containment 108 and to provide a flat floor therefor. Because it may be used with either spherical or cylindrical containment buildings, the present invention obviates the need for site-specific design and engineering of any support buildings and subspaces. Thus, the building design and layout may be pre-designed and standardized for use in more than one reactor location. Standardization of support building layouts in nuclear power plants in a manner which would allow the use of alternative containment geometries decreases costs and delays associated with site-specific design and re-design. Further, maintenance of support buildings and the reactor itself may be improved due to standardization, because maintenance requirements may be factored into a standardized design. Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed. A person of ordinary skill in the art will realize, however, that certain modifications and alternative forms will come within the teachings of this invention. Therefore, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of the invention.

Claims

I CLAIM:

1. A support building for a nuclear reactor, comprising: a recess adapted to receive a spherical containment building having a first outer diameter; and a filler which may be placed within said recess to support a cylindrical containment building having a second outer diameter less than said first diameter.

2. A support building as in claim 1, wherein said recess is hemispherical.

3. A support building as in claim 2, wherein said recess has a diameter substantially equal to said first diameter

4. A support building as in claim 1, wherein said filler is annular and has an inner annular surface defined by said second outer diameter and an outer annular surface defined by said first outer diameter.

5. A support building for a nuclear reactor, comprising: a recess including a curved surface adapted to receive a spherical containment building of a first outer diameter, wherein said recess may be modified to support a second containment building of a smaller second outer diameter through the addition of a filler member, said filler member having an inner surface defined by said second outer diameter and having an outer surface defined by said curved surface.

6. A support building as in claim 5, wherein said recess is hemispherical.

7. A support building as in claim 6, wherein said second containment building is cylindrical.

8. A support building as in claim 7, wherein said filler member has a truncated annular shape.

9. In a nuclear reactor support building of the type provided with a recess including a curved surface adapted to receive a spherical containment building having a first outer diameter, a method of modifying the nuclear reactor support building to receive a cylindrical containment having a second outer diameter which is less than the first diameter, comprising: placing the cylindrical containment building with the recess; and adding a filler material within the recess, the filler material occupying space within the recess which is not occupied by the cylindrical containment.

10. A method of modifying a nuclear reactor support building as in claim 9, wherein said filler material is formed as a truncated annular filler member having an inner annular surface defined by the second outer diameter and having an outer annular surface defined by the curved surface of the support building recess corresponding to the first outer diameter.