Liquid metal cooled fast breeder nuclear reactors

Patent · Tue May 13 00:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:5515571

Duncombe, E; Thatcher, G

A liquid metal cooled fast breeder nuclear reactor is described wherein the fuel assembly is submerged in a pool of liquid metal coolant in a primary vessel which is housed in a concrete vault. The fuel assembly, which comprises a multiplicity of elongate fuel pins, is sub-divided into a plurality of elongate subassembly constructions which upstand side-by-side. The fuel assembly has an inner zone comprised mainly of fissile material and a surrounding outer zone comprised mainly of breeder material. The sub-assemblies in the outer zone include electromagnetic braking devices for regulating the flow of coolant through the sub-assemblies and the magnetic fields of the electro -magnetic braking devices are temperature sensitive being arranged so that, as the power output of the breeder subassemblies increases, the electro-magnetic resistance to coolant flow is reduced, thereby maintaining the temperature of the coolant outlets from the sub-assemblies substantially constant.

• Assignee: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (United Kingdom)
• Patent Number(s): US 4202726
• OSTI ID: 5515571
• Resource Relation: Patent Priority Date: Priority date 12 Dec 1977, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK); Other Information: PAT-APPL-964350
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
COOLANTS
DESIGN
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
FLOW RATE
FLOW REGULATORS
FUEL PINS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
BREEDER REACTORS
CONTROL
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EQUIPMENT
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FUEL ELEMENTS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
210500* - Power Reactors
Breeding