Nuclear reactor vessels

Purpose: To improve the strength and reliability by moderating thermal stresses produced to the furnace walls of a reactor vessel by the thermal shocks upon reactor shutdown and tripping and reducing the generation of developing thermal ratchet strains produced upon repeating thermal shocks. Constitution: Upon occurrence of reactor shutdown or tripping, the temperature is detected and the pressure of the cover gas is controlled such that the axial temperature slope is decreased to displace the liquid surface in an annular vessel. Then, for attaining the stress reducing temperature, control is so conducted that the temperature of the lower portion is not higher than the upper portion in the axial temperature distribution of the reactor vessel. By controlling the pressure of the cover gas in the annular vessel in this way, the liquid level can be raised to a cover gas portion remaining at a high temperature state. Further, the temperature of the furnace wall can always be decreased to a temperature of the high temperature plenum thereby enabling to moderate the thermal stresses. (Yoshihara, H.)