Passive heat transfer means for nuclear reactors
Abstract
An improved passive cooling arrangement is disclosed for maintaining adjacent or related components of a nuclear reactor within specified temperature differences. Specifically, heat pipes are operatively interposed between the components, with the vaporizing section of the heat pipe proximate the hot component operable to cool it and the primary condensing section of the heat pipe proximate the other and cooler component operable to heat it. Each heat pipe further has a secondary condensing section that is located outwardly beyond the reactor confinement and in a secondary heat sink, such as air ambient the containment, that is cooler than the other reactor component. Means such as shrouding normally isolated the secondary condensing section from effective heat transfer with the heat sink, but a sensor responds to overheat conditions of the reactor to open the shrouding, which thereby increases the cooling capacity of the heat pipe. By having many such heat pipes, an emergency passive cooling system is defined that is operative without electrical power.
- Inventors:
-
- Glen Ellyn, IL
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 865215
- Patent Number(s):
- 4478784
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
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
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- passive; heat; transfer; means; nuclear; reactors; improved; cooling; arrangement; disclosed; maintaining; adjacent; related; components; reactor; specified; temperature; differences; specifically; pipes; operatively; interposed; vaporizing; section; pipe; proximate; hot; component; operable; cool; primary; condensing; cooler; secondary; located; outwardly; confinement; sink; air; ambient; containment; shrouding; normally; isolated; effective; sensor; responds; overheat; conditions; increases; capacity; emergency; defined; operative; electrical; power; passive heat; cooling capacity; temperature difference; nuclear reactors; passive cooling; heat sink; heat pipe; electrical power; nuclear reactor; heat transfer; heat pipes; temperature differences; specified temperature; reactor component; effective heat; transfer means; cooling arrangement; /376/165/976/
Citation Formats
Burelbach, James P. Passive heat transfer means for nuclear reactors. United States: N. p., 1984.
Web.
Burelbach, James P. Passive heat transfer means for nuclear reactors. United States.
Burelbach, James P. Sun .
"Passive heat transfer means for nuclear reactors". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/865215.
@article{osti_865215,
title = {Passive heat transfer means for nuclear reactors},
author = {Burelbach, James P},
abstractNote = {An improved passive cooling arrangement is disclosed for maintaining adjacent or related components of a nuclear reactor within specified temperature differences. Specifically, heat pipes are operatively interposed between the components, with the vaporizing section of the heat pipe proximate the hot component operable to cool it and the primary condensing section of the heat pipe proximate the other and cooler component operable to heat it. Each heat pipe further has a secondary condensing section that is located outwardly beyond the reactor confinement and in a secondary heat sink, such as air ambient the containment, that is cooler than the other reactor component. Means such as shrouding normally isolated the secondary condensing section from effective heat transfer with the heat sink, but a sensor responds to overheat conditions of the reactor to open the shrouding, which thereby increases the cooling capacity of the heat pipe. By having many such heat pipes, an emergency passive cooling system is defined that is operative without electrical power.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1984},
month = {1}
}