Gas-cooled nuclear reactor
Abstract
A gas-cooled nuclear reactor includes a central core located in the lower portion of a prestressed concrete reactor vessel. Primary coolant gas flows upward through the core and into four overlying heat-exchangers wherein stream is generated. During normal operation, the return flow of coolant is between the core and the vessel sidewall to a pair of motor-driven circulators located at about the bottom of the concrete pressure vessel. The circulators repressurize the gas coolant and return it back to the core through passageways in the underlying core structure. If during emergency conditions the primary circulators are no longer functioning, the decay heat is effectively removed from the core by means of natural convection circulation. The hot gas rising through the core exits the top of the shroud of the heat-exchangers and flows radially outward to the sidewall of the concrete pressure vessel. A metal liner covers the entire inside concrete surfaces of the concrete pressure vessel, and cooling tubes are welded to the exterior or concrete side of the metal liner. The gas coolant is in direct contact with the interior surface of the metal liner and transfers its heat through the metal liner to the liquid coolant flowing throughmore »
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- GA Technologies Inc., San Diego, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 865675
- Patent Number(s):
- 4554129
- Application Number:
- 06/359,161
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by U.S. Department of Energy (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:
- AT03-76SF70046
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 1982 Mar 17
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- gas-cooled; nuclear; reactor; central; core; located; portion; prestressed; concrete; vessel; primary; coolant; gas; flows; upward; overlying; heat-exchangers; stream; generated; normal; operation; return; flow; sidewall; pair; motor-driven; circulators; bottom; pressure; repressurize; passageways; underlying; structure; emergency; conditions; functioning; decay; heat; effectively; removed; means; natural; convection; circulation; hot; rising; exits; top; shroud; radially; outward; metal; liner; covers; entire; inside; surfaces; cooling; tubes; welded; exterior; direct; contact; interior; surface; transfers; liquid; flowing; cooler; dense; creates; downward; region; reaches; inward; pass; water; forced; absorb; sufficient; rate; remove; created; prevent; overheating; natural convection; central core; coolant gas; radially inward; decay heat; gas flows; liquid coolant; direct contact; normal operation; gas flow; reactor vessel; pressure vessel; nuclear reactor; interior surface; coolant flow; hot gas; primary coolant; radially outward; cooled nuclear; prestressed concrete; metal liner; cooling tubes; gas-cooled nuclear; effectively removed; cooling tube; coolant flowing; gas rising; cooler gas; emergency conditions; gas coolant; concrete surfaces; convection circulation; flows radially; flows upward; metal line; concrete reactor; convection flow; effectively remove; /376/976/
Citation Formats
Peinado, Charles O., and Koutz, Stanley L. Gas-cooled nuclear reactor. United States: N. p., 1985.
Web.
Peinado, Charles O., & Koutz, Stanley L. Gas-cooled nuclear reactor. United States.
Peinado, Charles O., and Koutz, Stanley L. Tue .
"Gas-cooled nuclear reactor". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/865675.
@article{osti_865675,
title = {Gas-cooled nuclear reactor},
author = {Peinado, Charles O. and Koutz, Stanley L.},
abstractNote = {A gas-cooled nuclear reactor includes a central core located in the lower portion of a prestressed concrete reactor vessel. Primary coolant gas flows upward through the core and into four overlying heat-exchangers wherein stream is generated. During normal operation, the return flow of coolant is between the core and the vessel sidewall to a pair of motor-driven circulators located at about the bottom of the concrete pressure vessel. The circulators repressurize the gas coolant and return it back to the core through passageways in the underlying core structure. If during emergency conditions the primary circulators are no longer functioning, the decay heat is effectively removed from the core by means of natural convection circulation. The hot gas rising through the core exits the top of the shroud of the heat-exchangers and flows radially outward to the sidewall of the concrete pressure vessel. A metal liner covers the entire inside concrete surfaces of the concrete pressure vessel, and cooling tubes are welded to the exterior or concrete side of the metal liner. The gas coolant is in direct contact with the interior surface of the metal liner and transfers its heat through the metal liner to the liquid coolant flowing through the cooling tubes. The cooler gas is more dense and creates a downward convection flow in the region between the core and the sidewall until it reaches the bottom of the concrete pressure vessel when it flows radially inward and up into the core for another pass. Water is forced to flow through the cooling tubes to absorb heat from the core at a sufficient rate to remove enough of the decay heat created in the core to prevent overheating of the core or the vessel.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1985},
month = {1}
}