IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILING REACTOR

Patent · Wed May 31 00:00:00 EDT 1961

OSTI ID:4072549

A boiling water reactor and a power producing system comprising this reactor is described. The reactor consists of a plurality of elongated fuel tubes arranged in a lattice array. Each tube has a plurality of rods of fissionable uranium and has a plurality of coolant passages in close proximity to the fuel rods. Ordinary water in the passages is used for absorbing the heat generated in the fuel rods. The ordinary water generally exists partly in liquld and partly in vapor when the reactor is in operation. There is a tank surrounding the fuel tubes and containing the heavy water. The weight ratio of heavy water to fissionable uranium is in excess of one and the distribution and relative proportions of fissionable uranium heavy water, and ordiaary water being such that the excess reactivity of the reactor due to variations in the ordmary water in the liquld and vapor phases is less than one dollar when the average density of ordinary water is a minimum for the reactor. Furthermore any increase in the average density of ordinary water in the reactor results in a decrease in excess reactivity. When the moderating substance (heavy water, beryllium, or graphite) has a ratio greater than ordinary water and the excess reactivity of the reactor is controlled by the parasitic absorption of neutrons by the ordiaary water, the average density of the ordinary water in the reactor results in an increase in excess re activity. The power producing system is designed which connects the reactor with a saturated vapor cooled reactor. The coolant channels of the boiling reactor are connected to the heating tubes of the vapor reactor. There are means for separating the liquld water from the saturated water vapor and pipes for delivering the water vapor to the heating tubes. A turbine is adapted to be driven by steam. There are means connecting the heating tubes to the input stage of the turbine and means for varying the amount of steam delivered to the turbine in accordance with variations in the load upon the turbine. (N.W.R.)

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-15-021881
• OSTI ID: 4072549
• Report Number(s): GB 869314
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-61
• Country of Publication: United Kingdom
• Language: English

Related Subjects

REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
BERYLLIUM
BOILING
CAPTURE
CONFIGURATION
COOLANT LOOPS
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
FUEL ELEMENTS
GAS COOLANT
GRAPHITE MODERATOR
HEAT TRANSFER
HEATING
HEAVY WATER MODERATOR
NEUTRONS
PATENT
PIPES
POWER PLANTS
QUANTITY RATIO
REACTIVITY
REACTORS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TUBES
TURBINES
VAPORS
VARIATIONS
WATER COOLANT
WATER MODERATOR