A nuclear reactor system that, in one embodiment, utilizes natural circulation to circulate a primary coolant in a single-phase through a reactor core and a heat exchange sub-system. The heat exchange sub-system is located outside of the nuclear reactor pressure vessels and, in some embodiments, is designed so as to not cause any substantial pressure drop in the flow of the primary coolant within the heat exchange sub-system that is used to vaporize a secondary coolant. In another embodiment, a nuclear reactor system is disclosed in which the reactor core is located below ground and all penetrations into the reactor pressure vessel are located above ground.

A nuclear reactor system that, in one embodiment, utilizes natural circulation to circulate a primary coolant in a single-phase through a reactor core and a heat exchange sub-system. The heat exchange sub-system is located outside of the nuclear reactor pressure vessels and, in some embodiments, is designed so as to not cause any substantial pressure drop in the flow of the primary coolant within the heat exchange sub-system that is used to vaporize a secondary coolant. In another embodiment, a nuclear reactor system is disclosed in which the reactor core is located below ground and all penetrations into the reactor pressure vessel are located above ground.

A nuclear reactor seismic isolation assembly includes an enclosure that defines a volume; a plastically-deformable member mounted, at least in part, within the volume; and a stretching member moveable within the enclosure to plastically-deform the plastically-deformable member in response to a dynamic force exerted on the enclosure.

A nuclear reactor seismic isolation assembly includes an enclosure that defines a volume; a plastically-deformable member mounted, at least in part, within the volume; and a stretching member moveable within the enclosure to plastically-deform the plastically-deformable member in response to a dynamic force exerted on the enclosure.

The invention relates to the field of electrical engineering, and specifically to sealed inlets of electrical circuits into a sealed area of a multi-layered containment shell of a nuclear power station. This design can be used in passages through an external and an internal wall which are subject to relative mutual displacement as a consequence of a seismic phenomenon or thermal expansion of the walls and passage. The problem addressed by the present invention is that of increasing the operating reliability of a sealed cable inlet when high-voltage electrical conductors which have little bending capacity are used. The problem addressed is achieved in that the sealed cable inlet through an external and an internal wall of a containment shell of a nuclear power station comprises an embedded pipe (3) which is arranged in the internal wall (1), with an inlet section (44) of a cable (2) fixed rigidly within said pipe. A means for compensating for a relative movement between the cable (2) and the external wall (11) is mounted in the external wall (11) coaxially with respect to the pipe (3). The compensating means has a tube (19) with a bellows (24) on the external end plane (20) and with a second analogous bellows (25) which is mounted symmetrically on the opposite end plane (21) of the tube (19) at the internal surface (18) of the external wall (11). The free ends (30) and (31) of the two bellows (24) and (25) are of conical design and have internal surfaces (28) and (29) which are support elements for an outlet section (46) of the cable (2), which is arranged freely in the tube (19) with a gap (47) relative to the internal surface (49) of the tube (19). The gap (47) between the braiding (48) along the external surface of the cable (2) and the internal surface (49) of the tube (19) is selected using a design calculation. The gap (47) must not be less than the value of maximum orthogonal thermo-seismic movement in one plane of the internal wall (1) relative to the external wall (11) and change in the coaxial position of the cable (2) in the tube (19).

The invention relates to the field of electrical engineering, and specifically to sealed inlets of electrical circuits into a sealed area of a multi-layered containment shell of a nuclear power station. This design can be used in passages through an external and an internal wall which are subject to relative mutual displacement as a consequence of a seismic phenomenon or thermal expansion of the walls and passage. The problem addressed by the present invention is that of increasing the operating reliability of a sealed cable inlet when high-voltage electrical conductors which have little bending capacity are used. The problem addressed is achieved in that the sealed cable inlet through an external and an internal wall of a containment shell of a nuclear power station comprises an embedded pipe (3) which is arranged in the internal wall (1), with an inlet section (44) of a cable (2) fixed rigidly within said pipe. A means for compensating for a relative movement between the cable (2) and the external wall (11) is mounted in the external wall (11) coaxially with respect to the pipe (3). The compensating means has a tube (19) with a bellows (24) on the external end plane (20) and with a second analogous bellows (25) which is mounted symmetrically on the opposite end plane (21) of the tube (19) at the internal surface (18) of the external wall (11). The free ends (30) and (31) of the two bellows (24) and (25) are of conical design and have internal surfaces (28) and (29) which are support elements for an outlet section (46) of the cable (2), which is arranged freely in the tube (19) with a gap (47) relative to the internal surface (49) of the tube (19). The gap (47) between the braiding (48) along the external surface of the cable (2) and the internal surface (49) of the tube (19) is selected using a design calculation. The gap (47) must not be less than the value of maximum orthogonal thermo-seismic movement in one plane of the internal wall (1) relative to the external wall (11) and change in the coaxial position of the cable (2) in the tube (19).

A nuclear reactor is configured with an intermediate coolant loop for transferring thermal energy from the reactor core for a useful purpose. The intermediate coolant loop includes a bypass flowpath with an air heat exchanger for dumping reactor heat during startup and/or shutdown. A fluidic diode along the bypass flowpath asymmetrically restricts flow across the bypass flowpath, inhibiting flow in a first flow direction during a full power operating condition and allowing a relatively uninhibited flow in a second direction during a startup and/or shut down low power operating condition.

A nuclear reactor is configured with an intermediate coolant loop for transferring thermal energy from the reactor core for a useful purpose. The intermediate coolant loop includes a bypass flowpath with an air heat exchanger for dumping reactor heat during startup and/or shutdown. A fluidic diode along the bypass flowpath asymmetrically restricts flow across the bypass flowpath, inhibiting flow in a first flow direction during a full power operating condition and allowing a relatively uninhibited flow in a second direction during a startup and/or shut down low power operating condition.

A steam generation system may include a plurality of heat transfer tubes configured to circulate a secondary coolant of the steam generation system. The steam generation system may be thermally coupled to a reactor vessel, and the reactor vessel may be configured to house a primary coolant. Heat generated from within the reactor vessel may be transferred from the primary coolant to the secondary coolant. The steam generation system may further include an inclined tube sheet fluidly coupled to the plurality of heat transfer tubes. The inclined tube sheet may be attached to a wall of the reactor vessel in a non-horizontal orientation.

A system for attenuating seismic forces includes a reactor pressure vessel containing nuclear fuel and a containment vessel that houses the reactor pressure vessel. Both the reactor pressure vessel and the containment vessel include a bottom head. Additionally, the system includes a base support to contact a support surface on which the containment vessel is positioned in a substantially vertical orientation. An attenuation device is located between the bottom head of the reactor pressure vessel and the bottom head of the containment vessel. Seismic forces that travel from the base support to the reactor pressure vessel via the containment vessel are attenuated by the attenuation device in a direction that is substantially lateral to the vertical orientation of the containment vessel.