US 12,191,042 B2
Nuclear fuel decay heat utilization system
Krishna P. Singh, Jupiter, FL (US)
Assigned to HOLTEC INTERNATIONAL
Filed by HOLTEC INTERNATIONAL, Camden, NJ (US)
Filed on Apr. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/725,969.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/178,000, filed on Apr. 22, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0016181 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. G21C 19/40 (2006.01); G21D 9/00 (2006.01); F24V 99/00 (2018.01); G21C 19/07 (2006.01)
CPC G21C 19/40 (2013.01) [G21D 9/00 (2013.01); F24V 99/00 (2018.05); G21C 19/07 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A nuclear fuel decay heat utilization system for space heating comprising:
a building;
a fuel pool disposed in the building, the fuel pool containing pool water and a plurality of nuclear fuel assemblies submerged in the pool water which emit decay heat that heats the pool water;
a first cooling system disposed in the building and comprising a first closed flow loop fluidly coupled to the fuel pool,
the first cooling system comprising a first heat exchanger fluidly disposed in the first closed flow loop,
the first cooling system configured to circulate the pool water through the first closed flow loop and a first heat exchanger;
a second cooling system disposed in the building and comprising a second closed flow loop thermally coupled to the first closed flow loop through the first heat exchanger,
the second cooling system comprising a second heat exchanger fluidly disposed in the second closed flow loop,
the fuel second cooling system configured to
circulate cooling water through the second closed flow loop and the second heat exchanger, and also
circulate the cooling water through the first heat exchanger in which the cooling water absorbs heat from the heated pool water which cools the heated pool water and heats the cooling water;
a third cooling system comprising
an external heat sink located outside the building
and a third flow loop thermally coupled to the second closed flow loop through the second heat exchanger,
the third cooling system configured to circulate raw water from the heat sink through the second heat exchanger in which the raw water absorbs heat from the cooling water in the second closed flow loop which cools the cooling water and heats the raw water;
the third cooling system further configured to circulate the heated raw water back to the external heat sink which can transfer heat absorbed from the raw water to an ambient environment;
an air temperature sensor disposed in the building and configured to measure a real-time air temperature inside the building;
a throttle valve fluidly interposed between the external heat sink and the second heat exchanger in the third flow loop,
the throttle valve configured to regulate a flowrate of the raw circulated through third flow loop from the heat sink and the second heat exchanger;
a programmable controller operably coupled to the throttle valve and the air temperature sensor; the controller configured to:
monitor the real-time air temperature inside the building;
compare the real-time air temperature to a preprogrammed building setpoint air temperature; and
control the flowrate of the raw water to maintain the building setpoint air temperature.