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Nuclear reactor coolant pump with internal self-cooling arrangement

  • US 5,118,466 A
  • Filed: 03/12/1990
  • Issued: 06/02/1992
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A nuclear reactor coolant pump for pumping reactor coolant fluid in a reactor coolant system, said pump comprising:

  • (a) a casing having an end defining a central inlet nozzle for receiving a reactor coolant fluid, a peripheral outlet nozzle for discharging the reactor coolant fluid, and an annular passage interconnecting said inlet nozzle and said outlet nozzle through which the reactor coolant fluid can flow in a main stream from said inlet nozzle to said outlet nozzle;

    (b) a central rotor extending axially through said casing and having opposite ends, one of said ends being disposed adjacent said annular passage defined by said casing end;

    (c) first and second bearings rotatably mounting said rotor adjacent said opposite ends thereof to said casing;

    (d) a motor disposed about said rotor and between said first and second bearings, said motor including a rotor section mounted to said central rotor for rotation therewith and a stator section mounted stationarily to said casing and about said rotor section, said motor being operable for rotatably driving said central rotor;

    (e) an impeller mounted to said one end of said central rotor in communication with said annular passage and rotatable with said rotor so as to create a lower pressure at said central inlet nozzle than at said peripheral outlet nozzle thereof for drawing reactor coolant fluid axially into said one casing end through said central inlet nozzle thereof and discharging reactor coolant fluid from said one casing end tangentially through said peripheral outlet nozzle thereof after movement in a main flowstream through said annular passage of said one casing end; and

    (f) a self-cooling arrangement defining a fluid flow loop in flow communication with said annular passage and in heat transfer relationship with said first and second bearings and said motor and being operable for diverting only a small fraction of the reactor coolant fluid from and back to said main stream through said annular passage to cool said bearings and motor.

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