Mobile boration system

• US 9,266,756 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Brookfield Asset Management Incorporated)
• Inventors: Swantner, Stephen R., Vanston, Ryan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wasil, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/792,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20140069515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 376/282, 376/909, 137/87.01
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/687 Devices for dosing solid compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G21C 15/182 comprising powered means, e.g. pumps
• CPC Class Codes: G21C 9/033 by an absorbent fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G21D 1/02 Arrangements of auxiliary equipment
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2496 Self-proportioning or correlating systems

Abstract

A mobile boration system (60) has a number of components that are mobile and include a water source (10), H₂BO₃ powder supply (14), a mixer to mix the solution (20) capable of providing a boric acid solution (30) with minimal air entrainment and optional heat exchanger(s) (12), and wherein the system (60) is capable of transport to a nuclear power plant facility by land, sea or air, rather than being in place in a large vulnerable footprint.

Claims

1. A mobile boration system configured to provide nuclear reactor systems with borated coolant that can mix components of the borated coolant on site, to provide borated water, the mobile boration system comprising:

a) a water source or a connection to an external water source;

b) a water soluble boron powder source;

c) a heater to heat the water;

d) a pump operable to provide a motive source to move water to a desired location;

e) a metering system configured to meter flow of the boron powder source and water heated by the heater;

f) a mixer configured to allow metered mixing of the heated water and the water soluble boron source to provide a metered concentration of water/boric acid slurry;

g) a further heater configured to heat the slurry, wherein mixing of the slurry by the mixer and heating of the slurry by the further heater provides a borated/boric acid water solution;

h) a fluid exit for the solution; and

i) a transport arrangement configured to transport the solution to a nuclear reactor system, wherein the transport arrangement eliminates the need for onsite storage of conventionally large volumes of borated/boric acid water solutions.

2. The mobile boration system of claim 1, wherein the pump of (e) is selected from the group consisting of a positive displacement pump and a centrifugal pump with a flow meter.

3. The mobile boration system of claim 1 wherein the water soluble boron powder source is H₂BO₃ powder and the metering system is a screw feed hopper.

4. The mobile boration system of claim 1, wherein the mixer is a mechanical mixer which can provide sufficient agitation to ensure the slurry is dissolved into the solution with an air entrainment in the solution of less than 1 vol. %.

5. The mobile boration system of claim 3, wherein the screw feed of the hopper can provide a controlled volume flow of H₃BO₃ powder.

6. The mobile boration system of claim 1, wherein the transport arrangement is selected from a truck trailer, a railroad flatbed, sea transport or air transport.

7. The mobile boration system of claim 1, further comprising a chemical additive tank housing an additive, said additive helping the slurry dissolve into the solution.

8. The mobile boration system of claim 1, wherein the water source is a tank of water on the transport arrangement.

9. The mobile boration system of claim 1, wherein the water soluble boron powder source comprises a H₂BO₃ powder source.