Fission gas release restrictor for breached fuel rod
Abstract
In the event of a breach in the cladding of a rod in an operating liquid metal fast breeder reactor, the rapid release of high-pressure gas from the fission gas plenum may result in a gas blanketing of the breached rod and rods adjacent thereto which impairs the heat transfer to the liquid metal coolant. In order to control the release rate of fission gas in the event of a breached rod, the substantial portion of the conventional fission gas plenum is formed as a gas bottle means which includes a gas pervious means in a small portion thereof. During normal reactor operation, as the fission gas pressure gradually increases, the gas pressure interiorly of and exteriorly of the gas bottle means equalizes. In the event of a breach in the cladding, the gas pervious means in the gas bottle means constitutes a sufficient restriction to the rapid flow of gas therethrough that under maximum design pressure differential conditions, the fission gas flow through the breach will not significantly reduce the heat transfer from the affected rod and adjacent rods to the liquid metal heat transfer fluid flowing therebetween.
- Inventors:
-
- Gaithersburg, MD
- Monroeville, PA
- Unity Twp., PA
- Greensburg, PA
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 865894
- Patent Number(s):
- 4596690
- 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:
- AM02-76CH94000
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- fission; gas; release; restrictor; breached; fuel; rod; event; breach; cladding; operating; liquid; metal; fast; breeder; reactor; rapid; high-pressure; plenum; result; blanketing; rods; adjacent; thereto; impairs; heat; transfer; coolant; control; rate; substantial; portion; conventional; formed; bottle; means; pervious; normal; operation; pressure; gradually; increases; interiorly; exteriorly; equalizes; constitutes; sufficient; restriction; flow; therethrough; maximum; design; differential; conditions; significantly; reduce; affected; fluid; flowing; therebetween; release rate; significantly reduce; adjacent thereto; gas plenum; breached fuel; high-pressure gas; substantial portion; transfer fluid; breeder reactor; fast breeder; pressure gas; gas flow; liquid metal; heat transfer; fluid flow; pressure differential; gas pressure; fuel rod; metal fast; reactor operation; fission gas; fluid flowing; normal reactor; metal coolant; metal heat; rapid release; /376/976/
Citation Formats
Kadambi, N Prasad, Tilbrook, Roger W, Spencer, Daniel R, and Schwallie, Ambrose L. Fission gas release restrictor for breached fuel rod. United States: N. p., 1986.
Web.
Kadambi, N Prasad, Tilbrook, Roger W, Spencer, Daniel R, & Schwallie, Ambrose L. Fission gas release restrictor for breached fuel rod. United States.
Kadambi, N Prasad, Tilbrook, Roger W, Spencer, Daniel R, and Schwallie, Ambrose L. Wed .
"Fission gas release restrictor for breached fuel rod". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/865894.
@article{osti_865894,
title = {Fission gas release restrictor for breached fuel rod},
author = {Kadambi, N Prasad and Tilbrook, Roger W and Spencer, Daniel R and Schwallie, Ambrose L},
abstractNote = {In the event of a breach in the cladding of a rod in an operating liquid metal fast breeder reactor, the rapid release of high-pressure gas from the fission gas plenum may result in a gas blanketing of the breached rod and rods adjacent thereto which impairs the heat transfer to the liquid metal coolant. In order to control the release rate of fission gas in the event of a breached rod, the substantial portion of the conventional fission gas plenum is formed as a gas bottle means which includes a gas pervious means in a small portion thereof. During normal reactor operation, as the fission gas pressure gradually increases, the gas pressure interiorly of and exteriorly of the gas bottle means equalizes. In the event of a breach in the cladding, the gas pervious means in the gas bottle means constitutes a sufficient restriction to the rapid flow of gas therethrough that under maximum design pressure differential conditions, the fission gas flow through the breach will not significantly reduce the heat transfer from the affected rod and adjacent rods to the liquid metal heat transfer fluid flowing therebetween.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1986},
month = {1}
}