Seafloor power station

Abstract

The Seafloor Power Station is one or more unmanned electric power generating Units ( 2 ) sending power to and operated from existing coastal sites by a manned facility ( 1 ) by connecting lines and hoses ( 3 ) delivering power to a grid by lines ( 4 ). Each Unit's hull ( 11 ) maintained in a vacuum, contains both nuclear steam and electricity generating systems. The hull functions as overpressure containment and as condenser in the event of a loss of coolant accident or other steam release. The Units operate submerged in very cold water, with depth set by remotely controlled vertical mooring systems, mounted on gravity mats ( 27 ). A Unit must be surfaced by its mooring system to refuel the reactor, an action both conspicuous and public, enabling international oversight of the fuel disposition.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A coastal electric power generating station, that can be added to existing generating stations and waste water treatment plants, using their outfalls as conduits, wherein the improvement is: 
 a safe and accessible manned facility ashore to receive power and control operation of one or more remote generating Units; alternatively,    this facility on an island or platform, if offshore distance of the Units dictates, sending high voltage power ashore,    a gravity mat on the seafloor as anchor, with an installed vertical mooring system, submerging or surfacing an unmanned hull as directed, this hull housing nuclear steam and electricity generators; each such installation operated as a remote generating Unit.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein this manned facility consists of control means to manage output from the generators within this hull by lines and hoses; and also direct submergence, and surfacing, of this hull by hoses to the installed mooring system.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein this flat bottomed mat is installed by towing to the site, ballasting, flooding, and sinking to the seafloor, using buoyant means to remain upright, including the installed vertical mooring system with attached buoys; and thus the flat bottom slowing descent and decelerating from the ground effect prior to impact.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein this vertical mooring system includes tension equalizing means of managing strains in redundant subsystems with multiple mooring cables, by unvalved flow within the hydraulic system; and of moderating strains on stressed cables if this hull is heeled from unforeseen forces, by unvalved pumping action of the hydraulic motors.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein this vertical mooring system includes flexible means to minimize movement to the hull from any seismic shaking of the anchoring mat as the parallel cables will dampen vertical, and not transmit horizontal motion.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein this hull includes adequate strength capability for submergence and overpressure containment, and thermal means to condense steam releases as the shell domes ( 7 - 8 ) thereof can be sufficiently thin to pass heat to the surrounding seawater.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  including remote means to keep this hull and the enclosed steam condensers in an effective vacuum during submersion and operation, by hose connection to vacuum sources at the facility; and thus control sealing and release of the hatch cover; and the use of these hoses as protective conduits for control circuits.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  comprising self operating means to flood the reactor with seawater through check valves, if all other systems fail to cool the core during a major loss of coolant accident.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 3  wherein this gravity mat with the installed vertical mooring system includes hydraulic means of surfacing and leveling these buoys by up and down cycling of the winches, to facilitate attachment and mooring of the hull.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6  wherein this hull has structural means to carry the concentrated weight of the installed generators, in the support columns ( 22 - 23 ) joined together with tubes ( 5 ) and beams ( 6 ).  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein these buoys have ballasting means to counteract the attached hull's buoyancy, consisting of fittings; for flooding and to receive ballast; and, to dump ballast and expel water to allow surfacing of the buoys for unmooring of the hull.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10  wherein this hull has coolant means to suppress thermal expansion by allowing seawater flow through all support columns ( 22 - 23 ).