Diffusion-bonded pressure vessel for nuclear reactor
AssigneeLast Energy Inc.
InventorsBret Kugelmass, Charles Hodson Cole
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One variation of a system includes a pressure vessel: including a wall; defining a primary working fluid circuit extending vertically within the wall; defining a secondary working fluid circuit extending vertically within the wall and fluidly isolated from the primary working fluid circuit; and configured to store a nuclear fuel, a primary working fluid, and a secondary working fluid. The wall of the pressure vessel: 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; and defines a radiation shield configured to attenuate radiation emitted by the nuclear fuel.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a pressure vessel:
- comprising a wall;
- defining a primary working fluid circuit extending vertically within the wall;
- and
- defining a secondary working fluid circuit:
- extending vertically within the wall;
- and
- adjacent and fluidly isolated from the primary working fluid circuit;
- a nuclear fuel arranged within the pressure vessel;
- a primary working fluid:
- sealed within the pressure vessel;
- and
- circulating between the nuclear fuel and the primary working fluid circuit within the wall of the pressure vessel;
- a secondary working fluid circulating between the secondary working fluid circuit, within the wall of the pressure vessel, and an external power generation system;
- and
- wherein the wall of the pressure vessel:
- 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;
- and
- defines a radiation shield configured to attenuate radiation emitted by the nuclear fuel.
A system comprising:
- a pressure vessel:
- comprising a wall;
- defining a primary working fluid circuit extending vertically within the wall;
- defining a secondary working fluid circuit:
- extending vertically within the wall;
- and
- adjacent and fluidly isolated from the primary working fluid circuit;
- defining an upper cap is arranged about and coupled to a circumference of the wall;
- defining a lower cap:
- coupled to the wall opposite the upper cap;
- and
- configured to cooperate with the upper cap to seal the primary working fluid circuit and the secondary working fluid circuit;
- and
- configured to store a nuclear fuel, a primary working fluid, and a secondary working fluid;
- and
- wherein the wall of the pressure vessel:
- 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;
- and
- defines a radiation shield configured to attenuate radiation emitted by the nuclear fuel.
A system comprising:
- a nuclear reactor pressure vessel:
- comprising a wall;
- defining a primary working fluid circuit extending vertically within the wall;
- defining a secondary working fluid circuit:
- extending vertically within the wall;
- and
- adjacent and fluidly isolated from the primary working fluid circuit;
- and
- configured to store a nuclear fuel, a primary working fluid, and a secondary working fluid;
- and
- wherein the wall of the pressure vessel:
- 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;
- and
- defines a radiation shield configured to attenuate radiation emitted by the nuclear fuel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.