Nuclear reactor control room habitability system

Abstract

A cooling system for a nuclear plant main Control Room Habitability System that employs a vortex tube interposed between a compressed air supply and the control room. The relatively cold air output from the vortex tube is fed into the control room or the electrical equipment room while the relatively hot air exiting the vortex tube is exhausted to the atmosphere.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A nuclear power plant equipment room passive cooling system comprising:
 a storage source of compressed gas sufficiently large enough to deliver compressed gas at a pressure of approximately between 100 and 120 psi for at least two days to the equipment room;   at least one vortex tube having a gas inlet and a relatively cool gas outlet with the gas inlet in fluid communication with the storage source and the cool gas outlet in fluid communication with a nuclear plant equipment room; and   a gas regulator between the storage source of compressed gas and the gas inlet, for regulating the gas flow to the gas inlet to approximately between 100 and 120 psi.   
     
     
         2 . The passive cooling system of  claim 1  wherein the vortex tube has a relatively hot gas outlet wherein the relatively hot gas outlet is at a higher temperature than the relatively cool gas outlet and is exhausted to the ambient environment outside the equipment room. 
     
     
         3 . The passive cooling system of  claim 2  wherein the relatively hot gas is exhausted to the atmosphere. 
     
     
         4 . The passive cooling system of  claim 1  wherein the gas regulator maintains the flow to the gas inlet at substantially 120 psi. 
     
     
         5 . The passive cooling system of  claim 1  wherein the vortex tube is situated outside the equipment room. 
     
     
         6 . The passive cooling system of  claim 1  wherein the nuclear plant equipment room is a main control room. 
     
     
         7 . The passive cooling system of  claim 1  wherein the vortex tube comprises an array of a plurality of vortex tubes. 
     
     
         8 . The passive cooling system of  claim 7  wherein the array of the plurality of vortex tubes are configured in parallel. 
     
     
         9 . The passive cooling system of  claim 8  wherein the parallel array of vortex tubes are configured into an existing plant architecture.