Passive cooling system for a nuclear reactor

摘要

A passive cooling system for removing decay heat from an open cycle nuclear reactor. Coolant tanks are filled with coolant during normal operation of the reactor and coolant pump. A check valve in the inlet line for each tank prevents loss of coolant through the inlet line. After the reactor is shut down and the coolant pump is inoperative, coolant flows from the coolant tanks through exhaust lines into the normal coolant line and to the reactor for removal of decay heat. A flow control valve or fixed orifice in the exhaust line for each tank provides for a different predetermined flow rate of coolant from each tank to match the decay heat rate of the reactor.