NUCLEAR POWER PLANT Russian patent published in 1997 - IPC

FIELD: power plant engineering; nuclear power plants with reactor vessel installed in water pool, primarily those mounted on boards sea-going ships. SUBSTANCE: reactor is provided with facility for emergency heat transfer from reactor core in case of abnormal heat of ship through angle exceeding 90 deg. causing inability of convective heat transfer through operating heat exchanger. This facility is built up of heat and radiation safety members 5 installed above or under bottom of reactor vessel 1 and made in the form of heat exchanger with circulation channels having inlet and outlet pipings 7 and 8 which communicate with pool 2 filled with water or coolant. With ship tilted through more than 90 deg. or turned over and sunk to bottom, water coming from pool 2 starts circulating in channels 6 due to convection processes in case heat-radiation shield 5 is installed above bottom of reactor vessel 1; in case it is placed under reactor vessel bottom, coolant starts circulating. In this case, heat is transferred from reactor core 3 by means of heat-radiation shield 5 that functions as emergency heat exchanger to water of pool 2. Heat released from pool 2 is, in it its turn, dissipated in water surrounding ship through pool walls. As soon as ship acquires normal position, water stops circulating in channels of heat-radiation shield 5 and heat transfer though it is fully ceased, while convention heat transfer from core 3 is spontaneously conveyed to operating heat exchanger. Circulation channels 6 of heat-radiation shield 5 are made of metal. EFFECT: improved radiation shielding of reactor on its bottom side which improved environmental situation in ship's navigation area. 4 cl, 4 dwg