Ramesh V Patel

US Patent:

7845223, Dec 7, 2010

Filed:

Sep 8, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/220672

Inventors:

Ramesh Patel - San Jose CA, US
Albert Tsang - San Jose CA, US
James Sawabe - San Jose CA, US
Hwang Choe - Morgan Hill CA, US

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

G01F 23/00

US Classification:

73299

Abstract:

The disclosed apparatus includes a condensing chamber (CC) that maintains a volume of a condensate obtained from vapor emitting from a vessel, for example a reactor pressure vessel (RPV). The condensing chamber is connected to a reference leg (RL), a variable leg (VL) and a vapor or steam leg (SL). RL connection provides a flow path for the CRD drive water system backfill to flow into the CC and overflow into the VL. The excess backfill and/or condensate will be returned to the vessel, typically at a point below the liquid level within the vessel. Non-condensable gases will thereby be returned from the CC to the RPV in a substantially continuous manner, thereby tending to prevent the introduction of non-condensable gas enriched liquid from the CC into the RL and improving the tolerance and reliability of the level measurements and/or reducing thermal stresses on the various CC connections.

US Patent:

20060045230, Mar 2, 2006

Filed:

Aug 31, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/929489

Inventors:

Stephan Moen - Oswego NY, US
Ramesh Patel - San Jose CA, US
Harshad Shah - Union City CA, US

International Classification:

G21C 1/24

US Classification:

376357000

Abstract:

An arrangement is provided for mitigating pressure loss in a steam tunnel of a boiling water reactor. To reduce pressure loss in the steam tunnel, a diverter element is operatively connected to at least one of a plurality of pipe supports in a first direction opposed to a flow of steam in the steam tunnel so as to divide the steam flow over the at least one of the plurality of pipe supports. Further, a combiner element is operatively connected to at least one of the plurality of pipe supports in a second direction in a same direction as the flow of steam in the steam tunnel so as to combine the divided steam flow over the at least one of the plurality of pipe supports into a continuous steam flow. This division and recombination of steam flow may reduce form losses caused by the at least one of the plurality of pipe supports in the steam tunnel, which may in turn mitigate pressure loss in the steam tunnel of the boiling water reactor.