Containment pressure suppression system for liquid metal cooled reactors

摘要

A pressure suppressing and aerosol scrubbing system configured to be located between low pressure upper containments associated with modular reactor vessels is described. In one embodiment, the pressure suppression and scrubbing system includes a water tank having connected, partially filled water chambers and a vertical baffle having horizontal vent holes positioned near the bottom of the tank. Each water chamber is connected by a vent/relief line to one of the respective rectangular upper containments. The partially filled water tank assures that the respective containments are isolated from each other under normal operating conditions due to the water trap inherent in the system. In the event that an accident occurs in one of the reactors, the affected containment is heated by the sodium spray and/or pool fire and such heat forces its way through the pressure suppressing and scrubbing system to the unaffected reactor containment. The suppressing and scrubbing system cools the gasses and removes sodium and fission products so that relatively few radioactive fission products are introduced into the containment volume associated with un-affected reactor containment and the containment design temperature and pressure can be reduced.