NITROGEN-FREE REACTORS
SPANISH NUCLEAR SAFETY COUNCIL (CSN)
ASVAD APPROVAL
World Nuclear Exhibition Paris 2021
Nuclear Safety Innovation Award
News updated!
ASVAD details
Contact Us
The problem updated!
ASVAD advantages
Current Strategies
The ASVAD solution
Comparative
Finalist of Nuclear Safety Innovation Awards
WNE 2021 AWARDS (SME’s)
We’re proud to be a FINALIST of the WNE 2021 AWARDS in the category of NUCLEAR SAFETY INNOVATION (SME’s). To be finalist in a world scale contest is a distinguished recognition to our work.
The ASVAD valve is a noteworthy innovation to the NUCLEAR SAFETY of all the PWR in the world.
The next video partially shows the AWARD ceremony. Finally the prize goes to C-Bolt. Anyway we’re PROUD to be part of “la crème de la crème“.
WNE AWARD TO ASVAD
WNE 2021 AWARDS
We’re Finalist!
WNE 2021 AWARDS
We’re among the best…
ASVAD_STAND_4
What is ASVAD?
Asvad is a safety valve –unique at world– specifically designed to avoid the nitrogen injection complication.
It is fully PASSIVE and AUTOMATIC. It does not need any external power or operator action to fulfill its safety function.
Why ASVAD is needed?
Asvad is the SAFEST solution to a risky -and not properly evaluated– complication during a nuclear accident in the PWR nuclear plants.
This complication is the nitrogen injection to the core from the safety accumulators. This gas once inside the cooling pipes, will disturb –or even impede– the core cooling.
- It can permanently stop the “natural circulation” flow avoiding the core cooling.
- It will strongly diminish the steam condensation in the Steam Generator tubes.
- It will increase (and maintain) the presure in the system. Increasing the leaks and avoiding the low pressure safety pumps recovery work.
- It will accelerate the fuel cladding degradation diminishing the time available to avoid the core damage.
- It will disturb the recovering pumps. Air binding, cavitation and water-hammer issues.
It is very likely to suffer this complication because:
- This gas IS ALREADY INSIDE the system.
- There are BIG QUANTITIES of it inside the accumulators.
- It has an OPEN and DIRECT path to the core.
- As is pressurized, during ALL the TIME is trying to enter in the cooling pipes! … So it’s a question of time that it can reach the core.
Probably you know what happen when there is air inside the cast iron radiators at home… there is no heat transfer until the air is vented. So, in a nuclear reactor it happen the same, but in this case during the accident, no venting are possible!
The only way to avoid it, is preventing from happening.
ASVAD will avoid it automatically.
You could think that this drawing is a joke,
but this is the REAL situation of your core.
Will you allow this problem in your plant?
How ASVAD works?
ASVAD is always sensing the accumulator pressure. During the accident, as the accumulator empties its water, its internal pressure decreases. Only when the accumulator is depleted, and the nitrogen pressure is residual, the ASVAD valve acts venting all the gas to the atmosphere… away from the reactor pipes.
The next 1 minute video is very descriptive. The ASVAD acts when the pressure drops below 18 bar. Look at the manometer. The depressurization is complete.