Patent Number: 
Section: abstract

The invention provides a reactor containment vessel vent system capable of continuously releasing steam generated in a reactor containment vessel to the atmosphere even when a power supply is lost. In the reactor containment vessel vent system (15), the noble gas filter (23) that allows steam to pass through but does not allow radioactive noble gases to pass through among vent gas discharged from the reactor containment vessel (1) is provided at a most downstream portion of the vent line. An immediate upstream portion of the noble gas filter (23) and the reactor containment vessel (1) are connected to each other by the return pipe (24a, 24b) via the intermediate vessel (100). Further, when the radioactive noble gases having pressure equal to or higher than predetermined pressure stays in the immediate upstream portion of the noble gas filter (23), the staying radioactive noble gases flows into the intermediate vessel (100) by the relief valve (25). Thus, the noble gas filter (23) does not lose steam permeability, and the reactor containment vessel vent system (15) can continuously release the steam to the atmosphere.