System for heat transfer between primary and secondary fluid circuits within a diffusion-bonded pressure vessel wall for a nuclear reactor

A system comprising:

• a pressure vessel:
• comprising:
• a wall;
• and
• an internal volume;
• defining a primary working fluid circuit:
• extending vertically within the wall;
• and
• comprising:
• an inner primary vertical channel;
• an outer primary vertical channel;
• and
• a set of primary lateral channels fluidly coupling the inner primary vertical channel and the outer primary vertical channel;
• defining a secondary working fluid circuit:
• extending vertically within the wall;
• adjacent and fluidly isolated from the primary working fluid circuit;
• and
• comprising:
• an inner secondary vertical channel;
• an outer secondary vertical channel;
• and
• a set of secondary lateral channels fluidly coupling the inner secondary vertical channel and the outer secondary vertical channel;
• and
• a nuclear fuel arranged within the interval volume of the pressure vessel;
• a primary working fluid:
• sealed within the pressure vessel;
• and
• configured to:
• be heated by the nuclear fuel;
• circulate from the internal volume, through the primary working fluid circuit, to the internal volume;
• and
• a secondary working fluid:
• configured to circulate between the secondary working fluid circuit, within the wall of the pressure vessel, and an external power generation system;
• and
• wherein the pressure vessel is configured to isolate the primary working fluid from the secondary working fluid;
• and
• wherein the wall:
• defines a heat exchanger configured to transfer thermal energy from the primary working fluid flowing through the primary working fluid circuit into the secondary working fluid flowing through the secondary working fluid circuit;
• encapsulates the nuclear fuel and the primary working fluid;
• defines a radiation shield configured to attenuate radiation emitted by the nuclear fuel;
• and
• comprises a set of metallic plates assembled via diffusion bonding, the set of metallic plates comprising:
• a first metallic plate defining:
• a first set of apertures;
• and
• a first slot extending between the first set of apertures and defining a first primary lateral channel in the set of primary lateral channels;
• a second metallic plate defining:
• a second set of apertures aligned with the first set of apertures;
• and
• a second slot extending between the second set of apertures and defining a first secondary lateral channel in the set of secondary lateral channels;
• and
• a third metallic plate:
• interposed between the first metallic plate and the second metallic plate;
• and
• configured to isolate the primary working fluid circuit from the secondary working fluid circuit.