Patent · US Expired

Internal passive water recombiner/hydrogen peroxide decomposer for a boiling water reactor

US5287392A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
21References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 25, 1992
Grant dateFeb 15, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 25, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E30/30
  • WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An internal passive catalytic device operating in the water phase of a boiling water reactor vessel downstream of the steam/water separator location. The device consists of catalytic material arranged and situated such that all (except perhaps a small leakage flow) water phase exiting the water/steam separator device flows over the surface of the catalytic material. The catalytic surfaces decompose dissolved hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. When the substrate of the catalytic material is plated or alloyed with a water recombination catalyst such as a noble metal, the catalytic surfaces also catalyze the recombination of dissolved hydrogen and oxygen molecules into water. The passive catalytic device is constructed to ensure that the pressure drop of the reactor water across the device is very small. The device includes a stainless steel flow-through housing packed with catalytic material, which could take the form of tangled wire or strips, crimped ribbon, porous sintered metal composite or any other structure having a high surface area-to-volume ratio.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.