Underground nuclear power station using self-regulating heat-pipe controlled reactors
Abstract
A nuclear reactor for generating electricity is disposed underground at the bottom of a vertical hole that can be drilled using conventional drilling technology. The primary coolant of the reactor core is the working fluid in a plurality of thermodynamically coupled heat pipes emplaced in the hole between the heat source at the bottom of the hole and heat exchange means near the surface of the earth. Additionally, the primary coolant (consisting of the working flud in the heat pipes in the reactor core) moderates neutrons and regulates their reactivity, thus keeping the power of the reactor substantially constant. At the end of its useful life, the reactor core may be abandoned in place. Isolation from the atmosphere in case of accident or for abandonment is provided by the operation of explosive closures and mechanical valves emplaced along the hole. This invention combines technology developed and tested for small, highly efficient, space-based nuclear electric power plants with the technology of fast-acting closure mechanisms developed and used for underground testing of nuclear weapons. This invention provides a nuclear power installation which is safe from the worst conceivable reactor accident, namely, the explosion of a nuclear weapon near the ground surface ofmore »
- Inventors:
-
- Pleasanton, CA
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 867054
- Patent Number(s):
- 4851183
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28D - HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- underground; nuclear; power; station; self-regulating; heat-pipe; controlled; reactors; reactor; generating; electricity; disposed; bottom; vertical; drilled; conventional; drilling; technology; primary; coolant; core; fluid; plurality; thermodynamically; coupled; heat; pipes; emplaced; source; exchange; means; near; surface; earth; additionally; consisting; flud; moderates; neutrons; regulates; reactivity; keeping; substantially; constant; useful; life; abandoned; isolation; atmosphere; accident; abandonment; provided; operation; explosive; closures; mechanical; valves; combines; developed; tested; highly; efficient; space-based; electric; plants; fast-acting; closure; mechanisms; testing; weapons; provides; installation; safe; worst; conceivable; namely; explosion; weapon; ground; useful life; power reactor; generating electric; power plants; substantially constant; electric power; nuclear power; heat pipe; heat exchange; nuclear reactor; reactor core; heat source; power plant; highly efficient; primary coolant; heat pipes; ground surface; generating electricity; nuclear weapons; closure mechanism; moderates neutrons; underground nuclear; nuclear electric; nuclear weapon; power station; /376/976/
Citation Formats
Hampel, Viktor E. Underground nuclear power station using self-regulating heat-pipe controlled reactors. United States: N. p., 1989.
Web.
Hampel, Viktor E. Underground nuclear power station using self-regulating heat-pipe controlled reactors. United States.
Hampel, Viktor E. Sun .
"Underground nuclear power station using self-regulating heat-pipe controlled reactors". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/867054.
@article{osti_867054,
title = {Underground nuclear power station using self-regulating heat-pipe controlled reactors},
author = {Hampel, Viktor E},
abstractNote = {A nuclear reactor for generating electricity is disposed underground at the bottom of a vertical hole that can be drilled using conventional drilling technology. The primary coolant of the reactor core is the working fluid in a plurality of thermodynamically coupled heat pipes emplaced in the hole between the heat source at the bottom of the hole and heat exchange means near the surface of the earth. Additionally, the primary coolant (consisting of the working flud in the heat pipes in the reactor core) moderates neutrons and regulates their reactivity, thus keeping the power of the reactor substantially constant. At the end of its useful life, the reactor core may be abandoned in place. Isolation from the atmosphere in case of accident or for abandonment is provided by the operation of explosive closures and mechanical valves emplaced along the hole. This invention combines technology developed and tested for small, highly efficient, space-based nuclear electric power plants with the technology of fast-acting closure mechanisms developed and used for underground testing of nuclear weapons. This invention provides a nuclear power installation which is safe from the worst conceivable reactor accident, namely, the explosion of a nuclear weapon near the ground surface of a nuclear power reactor.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989},
month = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989}
}