REACTOR CONTROL DEVICE
Abstract
A wholly mechanical compact control device is designed for automatically rendering the core of a fission reactor subcritical in response to core temperatures in excess of the design operating temperature limit. The control device comprises an expansible bellows interposed between the base of a channel in a reactor core and the inner end of a fuel cylinder therein which is normally resiliently urged inwardly. The bellows contains a working fluid which undergoes a liquid to vapor phase change at a temperature substantially equal to the design temperature limit. Hence, the bellows abruptiy expands at this limiting temperature to force the fuel cylinder outward and render the core subcritical. The control device is particularly applicable to aircraft propulsion reactor service. (AEC)
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 4779760
- Patent Number(s):
- 3052616
- Assignee:
- U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
- NSA Number:
- NSA-16-031246
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-62
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- REACTOR TECHNOLOGY; AIRCRAFT; CONFIGURATION; CONTROL; CONTROL SYSTEMS; CRITICALITY; DEFORMATION; EXPANSION; FUEL ELEMENTS; HIGH TEMPERATURE; LIQUIDS; MOTION; OPERATION; PATENT; PROPULSION; REACTOR CORE; REACTORS; VAPORS; VARIATIONS
Citation Formats
Graham, R H. REACTOR CONTROL DEVICE. United States: N. p., 1962.
Web.
Graham, R H. REACTOR CONTROL DEVICE. United States.
Graham, R H. Sat .
"REACTOR CONTROL DEVICE". United States.
@article{osti_4779760,
title = {REACTOR CONTROL DEVICE},
author = {Graham, R H},
abstractNote = {A wholly mechanical compact control device is designed for automatically rendering the core of a fission reactor subcritical in response to core temperatures in excess of the design operating temperature limit. The control device comprises an expansible bellows interposed between the base of a channel in a reactor core and the inner end of a fuel cylinder therein which is normally resiliently urged inwardly. The bellows contains a working fluid which undergoes a liquid to vapor phase change at a temperature substantially equal to the design temperature limit. Hence, the bellows abruptiy expands at this limiting temperature to force the fuel cylinder outward and render the core subcritical. The control device is particularly applicable to aircraft propulsion reactor service. (AEC)},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1962},
month = {9}
}