PASSIVE CONTAINMENT COOLING APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

A containment cooling system (4) utilizes a naturally induced air flow and a gravity flow of water over the containment shell (6) which encloses a reactor core (8) to cool reactor core decay heat in two stages. When core decay heat is greatest, the water and air flow combine to provide adequate evaporative cooling as heat from within the containment is transferred to the water flowing over the same. The water is heated by heat transfer and then evaporated and removed by the air flow. After an initial period of about three to four days when core decay heat is greatest, air flow alone is sufficient to cool the containment.