Refueling system with small diameter rotatable plugs

Patent · Tue Feb 24 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:7090609

Ritz, W C

This patent describes a liquid-metal fastbreeder nuclear reactor comprising a reactor pressure vessel and closure head therefor, a reactor core barrel disposed within the reactor vessel and enclosing a reactor core having therein a large number of closely spaced fuel assemblies, and the reactor core barrel and the reactor core having an approximately concentric circular cross-sectional configuration with a geometric center in predetermined location within the reactor vessel. The improved refueling system described here comprises: a large controllably rotatable plug means comprising the substantial portion of the closure head, a reactor upper internals structure mounted from the large rotatable plug means. The large rotatable plug means has an approximately circular configuration which approximates the cross-sectional configuration of the reactor core barrel with a center of rotation positioned a first predetermined distance from the geometric center of the reactor core barrel so that the large rotatable plug means rotates eccentrically with respect to the reactor core barrel; a small controllably rotatable plug means affixed to the large rotatable plug means and rotatable with respect thereto. The small rotatable plug means has a center of rotation which is offset a second predetermined distance from the rotational center of the large rotatable plug means so that the small rotatable plug means rotates eccentrically with respect to the large rotatable plug means.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
• Patent Number(s): US 4645640
• OSTI ID: 7090609
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500* -- Power Reactors
Breeding
BREEDER REACTORS
CLOSURES
CONTAINERS
ENERGY SOURCES
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUELS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
MATERIALS
MOTION
NUCLEAR FUELS
POSITIONING
PRESSURE VESSELS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR FUELING
REACTOR INTERNALS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
ROTATION
SPACE DEPENDENCE
SPENT FUELS