Protection systems for nuclear boiling water reactors

• US 7,912,170 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Jacobs, Randall Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): PALABRICA, RICARDO J
• Application Number:
  US12/637,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20100091928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 376/245, 376/247, 376/215
• US Class Current: 376/245
• CPC Class Codes: G21C 17/00 Monitoring; Testing measuring in general G01; Maintaining
• CPC Class Codes: G21D 3/001 Computer implemented control
• CPC Class Codes: G21D 3/04 Safety arrangements emergency protection of reactor G21C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/00 Energy generation of nuclear origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/30 Nuclear fission reactors

Abstract

A protection system for a nuclear boiling water reactor may include a device configured to monitor reactor power; a device configured to monitor reactor pressure; a device configured to determine a power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint, based on the monitored reactor power; and a device configured to initiate a protection system action when the monitored reactor pressure is greater than the power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint. The power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint that corresponds to at least one value of percent power in an operating domain of the reactor may be less than the power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint that corresponds to 100% reactor power.

Claims

1. A protection system for a nuclear boiling water reactor, the protection system comprising:

a device configured to monitor reactor power;

a device configured to monitor reactor pressure;

a device configured to determine a power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint, based on the monitored reactor power; and

a device configured to initiate a protection system action when the monitored reactor pressure is greater than the power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint;

wherein the power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint that corresponds to a value of percent power in an operating domain of the reactor is less than the power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint that corresponds to 100% reactor power.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the protection system action is a reactor scram.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the protection system action is a warning.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the protection system action is an alarm.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the protection system action includes a reactor scram.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the protection system action includes a warning.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the protection system action includes an alarm.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the device configured to initiate a protection system action initiates a reactor scram when the monitored reactor power is greater than the power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint that corresponds to a value of percent power in the operating domain of the reactor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the device configured to initiate a protection system action initiates a reactor scram when the monitored reactor power is greater than the power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint that corresponds to 100% reactor power.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more signals in the system that correspond to one or more values of percent reactor power;

wherein the one or more signals in the system that correspond to one or more values, respectively, of percent reactor power are delayed in time before the one or more signals in the system that correspond to one or more values, respectively, of percent reactor power affect the power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more signals in the system that correspond to one or more values of percent reactor power; and

one or more signals in the system that correspond to reactor pressure;

wherein the one or more signals in the system that correspond to one or more values, respectively, of percent reactor power are lagged relative to the one or more signals, respectively, in the system that correspond to reactor pressure.