US 12,243,657 B2
Emergency heat removal in a light water nuclear reactor by using a passive endothermic reaction cooling system
Matthew J. Memmott, Provo, UT (US); and Joel Riding Johnson, Cranberry Township, PA (US)
Filed by Matthew J. Memmott, Provo, UT (US); and Joel Riding Johnson, Cranberry Township, PA (US)
Filed on Dec. 6, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/543,335.
Application 17/543,335 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/162,815, filed on Oct. 17, 2018, abandoned.
Application 16/162,815 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2017/028345, filed on Apr. 19, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/324,715, filed on Apr. 19, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0254528 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. G21C 15/18 (2006.01); F28D 20/00 (2006.01); G21C 15/26 (2006.01); G21C 15/28 (2006.01)
CPC G21C 15/18 (2013.01) [F28D 20/003 (2013.01); G21C 15/26 (2013.01); G21C 15/28 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for emergency cooling of a nuclear reactor system comprising
thermally communicating heat from a fluid in the nuclear reactor system to a contained endothermic chemical reaction system having at least one chemical reactant,
the endothermic chemical reaction system is contained within a heat sink tank disposed within an interior area of a containment of the nuclear reactor system,
the tank is configured to
prevent release of the at least one of chemical reactant therefrom into the containment and
prevent reaction products resulting therein from being released therefrom into the containment,
the thermal communication comprising a passive convective flowing of the fluid around walls of the tank
that transfers heat between the endothermic chemical reaction system and the fluid when there is a predetermined temperature differential between the fluid and the endothermic chemical reaction system,
such that temperature of the endothermic reaction system is responsive to temperature of the fluid and the nuclear reactor system,
the at least one chemical reactant in the endothermic chemical reaction system having a chemical activation temperature at which endothermic chemical reaction initiates,
the chemical activation temperature of being a value
 above the temperature of the endothermic chemical reaction system when the nuclear reactor system is at operating temperature and
 below the temperature of the endothermic chemical reaction system when the nuclear reactor system is at maximum emergency temperature.