Fission gas release restrictor for breached fuel rod
- Gaithersburg, MD
- Monroeville, PA
- Unity Twp., PA
- Greensburg, PA
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.
- Research Organization:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AM02-76CH94000
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4596690
- OSTI ID:
- 865894
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
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
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