RC- Reactor Coolant System Flashcards
What are the six main purposes of the RCS?
1) transfer thermal energy to the S/G in form of steam to produce power
2) secondary barrier to prevent the release of fission products
3) provide core cooling during all normal plant conditions (except shutdown cooling
4) coolant circulation of boron and lithium concentration (increase pH prevent corrosion)
5) control pressurizer level & pressure
6) RC gas vent to remove gas from pressurizer and reactor head post-accident
How does the RCS interface with the CEDMCS system?
CEDMCS controls the position, direction, rate, and duration of CEA’s in reactor vessel
also controls the magnetic jack coils to CEDM’s
Can CEA motion be controlled automatically or manually?
both
How does the RCS interface with the RI (Fixed in-core instrumentation system, or FICS)? (EXPLANATION Question)
measures neutron flux,
coolant temp. in 61 locations
monitors core characteristics to assure we do not exceed allowable limits
In the RCS, what does the RI system control? (EXPLANATION Question)
nothing. it only collects data
How does the RCS interface with the CH system?
Letdown maintains pressurizer level & purification
Charging maintains pressurizer level & provides for RCS seal injection + aux spray header (when normal spray to pressurizer is unavailable)
Charging header is for chemistry control
CVCS maintains boron concentration (increases pH, and reduces reactivity) & collects drainage of RCS in RDT
RCS pump seal bleedoff goes to VCT or alt. RDT
What discharges from the RCS does the CH system collect?
drainage for maintenance
RCP seal bleed off
Primary safety valve discharge
identified leakage
How does the RCS interface with the NC system?
intermediate barrier between RCS and the PW system
NC provides cooling to the RCP Hx (priority load):
motor air cooler
Motor lube oil cooler
Pump thrust bearing cooler
HP + LP seal coolers
How does the RCS interface with the SI system?
SI: injects borated water into RC for emergency core cooling after ESFAS signal activation
SDC: reactor coolant is cooled by shutdown cooling to bring Hot Standby (350F) —> Cold Standby (<135F)
When does SDC provide cooling for the reactor?
When the S/G’s are unavailable
When does shutdown cooling provide long term injection of borated water cooling?
after a LOCA (loss of cooling accident)
How does the RCS interface with the 13.8 kV NA system?
Supply power for RCPs
How does the RCS interface with the IA system?
Pneumatic main spray valves of IA system supplies control air to the pressurizer spray valves, controlled bleed-off containment isolation valves, and RDT bleed-off isolation valves
How does the RCS interface with the SG (main steam) and FW (feed water) systems?
remove heat from RCS by transferring it to secondary system via SG
How does the RCS interface with the SS (primary sampling) system? (EXPLANATION Question)
samples PCS loop 1 hot leg, surge line, and pressurizer steam space
used for chemistry and boron control
How does the RCS interface with the SE (Ex-core neutron monitoring) system? (EXPLANATION Question)
monitors neutron flux from detectors outside the vessel
How does the RCS interface with the reactor vessel level monitoring system (RVLMS)/QSPDS (SH)? (EXPLANATION Question)
provides reliable (class) indication of the vessel level online and during accidents
What is the purpose of the reactor vessel?
contains the core and vessel internals (which support fuel, CEA, in-core)
Absorb static + dynamic loads & transmit to vessel
directs flow of coolant through the core
part of RCS pressure boundary to prevent fission product release
What are the internals of the reactor vessel?
-core support barrel
-lower support structure
-In-core instrumentation nozzle assembly
-upper guide structure assembly
-core shroud
-fuel + fuel rods
-fuel assembly
-CEA
-burnable poison rods
-reactor vessel head
In the reactor vessel, what allows for radial and axial expansion of the core? (EXPLANATION Question)
the core support barrel assembly
What components make up the core support barrel assembly?
Core support barrel
lower support structure and instrument nozzle assembly
core shroud assembly
In the reactor vessel, what supports the upper ends of the fuel assemblies and protects the CEAs from coolant cross flow?
the upper guide structure assembly
What components make up the upper guide structure assembly?
CEA shroud assembly
upper guide structure support barrel
What is the main flow path of the coolant within the reactor vessel?
through inlet nozzles, down between vessel wall and core barrel, through flow skirt section and into lower plenum, up through core to outlet region, through CEA shroud tubes and through outlet nozzles
In the reactor vessel, what purpose does the core bypass flow serve?
-prevents stagnation of water in low flow areas
-keeps primary coolant below saturation temp (sub-cooled)
removes gamma radiation heat from core support barrel
What do the surveillance capsule assemblies do? (EXPLANATION Question)
monitor radiation induced changes in vessel materials
How many CEA’s are in the core?
89 total
What are the three types of CEAs and how many are there of each? (EXPLANATION Question)
5 regulating groups (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
2 shut down groups (A and B)
2 part strength groups (P1 and P2)
What are CEA pellets made of?
neutron absorbing pellets (Boron Carbide)
There are 48 of which CEAs?
12 finger full strength poison rods
There are 28 of which CEA’s?
four finger full strength poison rods
There are 13 of which CEA’s?
four finger part strength poison rod
How many Fuel assemblies do the 12 finger CEAs interact with?
5
How many fuel assemblies do the four finger CEAs interact with?
1
Which type of CEA do the shutdown banks A and B use? (EXPLANATION Question)
12 finger only
Which type of CEA do the regulating groups use?
12 and 4 finger
What are the major components of the fuel assemblies?
fuel spacer grids
upper end fitting
hold down plate
lower end fitting
guide tubes
fuel rods
describe the construction of a fuel rod
filled with uranium pellets with a compression spring and spacer disks at each end of a zirconium alloy tube seal welded with end caps and pressurized with helium
Why are fuel rods pressurized with helium?
improve thermal conductivity of pellet to clad gap
prevent clad collapse/deformation
Why are the fuel pellets “dished” at the ends?
account for thermal expansion and fuel swelling
What maintains the RCS in a sub-cooled condition?
the pressurizer
What acts as a surge volume to minimize pressure changes during load transients?
pressurizer
What prevents the RCS from over pressurizing?
the pressurizer