Apparatus for degassing a nuclear reactor coolant system

Abstract

An in-line dissolved gas removal membrane-based apparatus for removing dissolved hydrogen and fission gases from the letdown stream from a reactor coolant system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A nuclear reactor power plant subsystem for removing radioactive gasses and hydrogen gas from a reactor coolant comprising:
 a contactor housing a membrane that divides an interior of the contactor into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, wherein the membrane has pores that pass the radioactive and hydrogen gasses from the inlet chamber to the outlet chamber, but prevent the reactor coolant from passing through to the outlet chamber;   a vacuum generator connected to the outlet chamber for drawing a vacuum on the outlet chamber;   a liquid outlet conduit connected to an outlet nozzle on the inlet chamber for conveying a degasified portion of the reactor coolant to a desired location; and   a gas outlet conduit connected to an outlet nozzle on the outlet chamber for conveying the radioactive and hydrogen gasses to a nuclear reactor power plant waste gas system.   
     
     
         2 . The nuclear reactor power plant subsystem of  claim 1  including an inert sweep gas supply connected to the outlet chamber for supplying a relatively small inert gas sweep flow in the outlet chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The nuclear reactor power plant subsystem of  claim 2  wherein the inert gas is nitrogen. 
     
     
         4 . The nuclear reactor power plant subsystem of  claim 2  wherein the inert gas is helium. 
     
     
         5 . The nuclear reactor power plant subsystem of  claim 1  wherein the contactor housing comprises a plurality of contactor housings connected in parallel. 
     
     
         6 . The nuclear reactor power plant subsystem of  claim 1  wherein the contactor housing comprises a plurality of contactor housings connected in series. 
     
     
         7 . The nuclear reactor power plant subsystem of  claim 1  wherein the contactor housing comprises a plurality of contactor housings with at least some of the plurality of contactor housings connected in parallel and some of the parallel connected contactor housings connected in series with at least one other of the plurality of the contactor housings.