Which one of the following statements describes the operation of a reactor pressure vessel safety valve?
A. An open safety valve will close when reactor pressure decreases enough for gravity and spring tension to overcome the effect of reactor pressure on the main valve disk.
B. An open safety valve will close when the pilot valve senses a reduced reactor pressure and isolates reactor pressure to the main valve disk.
C. When reactor pressure reaches the lift set point, the safety valve begins to open and will modulate to a position that is directly proportional to reactor pressure.
D. When reactor pressure reaches the lift set point, a pilot valve closes to create a differential pressure across the main valve disk, which overcomes gravity and spring tension to open the valve.
Show Answer
Answer: A
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