Recuperative thermal recombining system for handling loss of coolant

Claim 2

A THERMAL SYSTEM FOR RECOMBINING DISSOCIATED HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN IN A WASTE GAS STREAM, WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION, A RECOMBINER CHAMBER HAVING GAS STREAM INLET MEANS AND AND COMBINED GASEOUS STREAM OUTLET MEANS CONNECTIVE THERETO, NON-FLAME HEATING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CHAMBER FOR HEATING GAS STREAM SUPPLIED THERETO, A RECYCLE CONDUIT MEANS WITH CONTROL VALVE MEANS THEREIN CONNECTIVE BETWEEN SAID GAS STREAM INLET MEANS AND SAID COMBINED GASEOUS STREAM OUTLET MEANS, TEMPERATURE SENSING MEANS CONNECTIVE WITH SAID RECOMBINER CHAMBER PROVIDING A TEMPERATURE RISE MEASUREMENT THEREFROM, AND CONTROLLER MEANS CONNECTING TO SAID TEMPERATURE SENSING MEANS AND TO SAID CONTROL VALVE MEANS IN SAID RECYCLE CONDUIT MEANS, WITH SAID CONTROLLER MEANS THEREBY OPERATIVE TO REGULATE AND PROPORTION THE AMOUNT OF RECYCLE COMBINED STREAM FLOW FROM THE OUTLET MEANS TO THE GAS INELT MEANS RESPONSIVE TO TEMPERATURE AS A MEASURE OF OXYGEN CONTENT IN THE HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS INLET STREAM TO THE RECOMBINER CHAMBER.

Claim 3

A recuperative thermal system for recombining dissociated hydrogen and oxygen in a waste gas stream, which comprises in combination, an elongated recombiner chamber with a recombiner section therein and having a gas stream inlet means and a combined gas outlet means connective thereto, inlet passageway means within said chamber which is in indirect heat exchange with a gas outlet passageway means therein, a heating section in said chamber intermediate the gas inlet and outlet means and non-flaming heating means supplying heat to said heating section, temperature sensing-controller means connective with the gas stream inlet means to said chamber and with the gas outlet passageway therefrom, recycle conduit means with control valve means therein connective between said gas inlet and said gas outlet means, additional conduit means from said gas outlet means with valve means therein for regulating the discharge of a combined gas stream flow from the system, and means connecting said temperature sensing-controller means to each of said valve means whereby the proportional amounts of gas recycle and combined gas stream flow can be regulated responsive to a temperature differential across the recombiner section of said chamber as a measure of the oxygen content of the stream carrying to said chamber.

Claim 4

A recuperative thermal system for recombining dissociated hydrogen and oxygen in a waste gas stream, which comprises in combination, an elongated recombiner chamber with a recombiner section therein and having a gas stream inlet means and a combined gas outlet means connective thereto, inlet passageway means within said chamber which is in indirect heat exchange with a gas outlet passageway means therein, a heating section in said chamber intermediate the gas inlet and outlet means and non-flaming heating means supplying heat to said heating section, temperature sensing-controller means connective with the gas stream inlet means to said chamber and with the gas outlet passageway therefrom, recycle conduit means with control valve means therein connective between said gas inlet and said gas outlet means, additional conduit means from said gas outlet means with valve means therein for regulating the discharge of a combined gas stream flow from the system, and means connecting said temperature sensing-controller means to each of said valve means whereby the proportional amounts of gas recycle and combined gas stream flow can be regulated responsive to a temperature differential across the recombiner section of said chamber as a measure of the oxygen content of the stream carrying to said chamber.

Claim 5

The system of claim 2 further characterized in that compressor means is provided ahead of said recombiner chamber whereby to provide a predetermined quantity flow of the mixture of charge gas stream and recycle stream into such chamber and to provide pressurized flow for recycle in the system and for the transfer of an unrecycled quantity of resulting combined gas stream.

Claim 6

The system of claim 2 further characterized in that water power eductor means is utilized in said system to provide for the inducement of gaseous flow into and through the heat exchange passageway means and through the recombiner chamber, as well as to provide for the transfer of the recombined gas stream flow from the system.

Claim 7

The system of claim 2 further characterized in that additional cooling means is connected with the discharge for the system, whereby the resulting combined gas stream can be subjected to second stage cooling prior to return to a containment for a nuclear power reactor.

Claim 8

The system of claim 2 further characterized in that said temperature sensing-controller means includes temperature sensing means connective with both the gas stream inlet means and said gas outlet passageway from said chamber and such sensing means provides signals to the control means of said sensing-controller means in turn providing powered regulating means to both the control valve means whereby there is a desired proportioned flow between the gas discharge and the gas recycle streams for maintaining a low oxygen content in the charge stream whereby the total oxygen content in the charge stream to the recombiner chamber is below a predetermined lower explosive limit with respect to the hydrogen present.