CONTAINMENT FOR THE LOW-TEMPERATURE DISTRICT NUCLEAR-HEATING REACTOR

An integral arrangement is adopted for the Low Temperature District Nuclear-Heating Reactor. The primary heat exchangers, control rod drives and spent fuel elements are put in the reactor pressure vessel together with the reactor core. The primary coolant flows in natural circulation through the reactor core and the primary heat exchangers. The primary coolant pipes penetrating the wall of the reactor pressure vessel are all of small diameters. The reactor vessel constitutes the main part of the pressure boundary of the primary coolant. Therefore a small sized metallic containment closed to the wall of the reactor vessel can be used for the reactor. Design principles and functions of the containment are the same as for the containment of a PWR. But the adoption of a small sized containment brings about some benefits such as a short period of manufacturing, relatively low cost, and ease for sealing. A loss of primary coolant accident would not be happened during a rupture accident of the primary coolant pressure boundary inside the containment owing to its intrinsic safety.