Underground nuclear power station using self-regulating heat-pipe controlled reactors

Patent · Tue Jul 25 04:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:5197028

Hampel, V E

The author presents a nuclear reactor for generating electricity 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 fluid 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.

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC
• Patent Number(s): US 4851183
• Application Number: PPN: US 7194772A
• OSTI ID: 5197028
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
42 ENGINEERING
422000 -- Engineering-- Mining & Underground Engineering-- (1980-)
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450200 -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives
ACCIDENTS
CLOSURES
COOLING SYSTEMS
DESIGN
ENERGY SYSTEMS
HEAT PIPES
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
POWER GENERATION
POWER PLANTS
PRIMARY COOLANT CIRCUITS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR SAFETY EXPERIMENTS
SAFETY
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR STATIONS
WEAPONS