Nuclear fission passive safety and cooling system
OwnerJohn S. Aldeninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A passive safety and cooling system for nuclear fission reactors powered by a bundle of radioactive fuel rods enclosed in a pressure vessel provides four redundant levels of dissipating and containing heat. Metal layered with carbon nanotube surrounds the pressure vessel, lines the system's floor, and studs a concrete containment dome. A retractable ceramic tile outer dome contains, absorbs and blocks any remaining heat or nuclear reactions, and optionally, releases them to the atmosphere, for the ultimate dissipation.
Claims15
A passive safety and cooling system for nuclear fission power plants having a bundle of radioactive fuel rods enclosed in a pressure vessel, comprising:
- a. a layered thermally conductive column surrounding and enclosing the pressure vessel, the column having a bottom and an opposing top;
- b. a layered thermally conductive disk supporting and continuous with the bottom of the layered thermally conductive column;
- c. a concrete containment dome having a top intersecting the top of the thermally conductive column, and sidewalls ending in a perimeter edge which intersects the thermally conductive disk, thereby enclosing and defining a torus of air space between the column, the disk and the sidewalls;
- d. a layer of insulating tiles spaced apart from and enclosing the top and the sidewalls of the concrete containment dome, wherein the layer of insulating tiles is selectively retractable from the concrete containment dome;
- and
- e. a plurality of layered thermally conductive segments embedded in the concrete containment dome and in thermal communication between the air space and the layer of insulating tiles.
A method of dissipating heat generated by nuclear fission power plants powered by a bundle of radioactive fuel rods, comprising the steps of:
- a. Enclosing and surrounding the bundle of radioactive fuel rods in a layered thermally conductive column;
- b. Standing the layered thermally conductive column atop a layered thermally conductive disk;
- c. Enclosing the layered thermally conductive column and the thermally conductive disk within a concrete containment dome having sidewalls embedded with a plurality of layered thermally conductive segments, thereby defining a torus of air space between the column, the disk and the sidewalls;
- d. Orienting the plurality of layered thermally conductive segments to be in thermal communication between the air space and an exterior of the concrete containment dome;
- and
- e. Enclosing the concrete containment dome within a layer of insulating tiles that is selectively retractable from the concrete containment dome.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.