Liquid metal cooled past breeder nuclear reactors
AssigneeNuclear Power Company Limited
InventorJohn A. Gatley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid metal cooled fast breeder nuclear reactor wherein the fuel assembly includes some breeder fuel sub-assemblies having electromagnetic brakes and fluidic valves of the controlled vortex kind for controlling the coolant outlet temperature. The coolant flow through each breeder sub-assembly is divided into a major flow fraction by way of the fluidic valve and fuel pins a minor flow fraction by way of the electromagnetic brake which is sensitive to the temperature of coolant flow. A control component of force for the fluidic valve is derived from the back pressure of the brake so that as the power output of the sub-assembly increases the braking effect diminishes and flow of coolant through the fluidic valve is increased.
Claims4
An improved liquid metal cooled fast breeder nuclear reactor having a fuel assembly in which each of at least some breeder sub-assemblies has an electromagnetic brake for regulating the flow of coolant through the sub-assembly, the magnetic brakes being temperature sensitive, wherein the improvement comprises a fluidic flow control device in each of the breeder sub-assemblies having an electromagnetic brake and means for dividing the coolant flow through said sub-assemblies into major and minor fractions, the major fraction flow being by way of the fluidic flow control device and, successively, a bundle of fuel pins whilst the minor flow is by way of the electromagnetic brake, the electromagnetic brake being sensitive to the major flow outlet temperature and a control component of force for the fluidic flow control device being derived from the back pressure of the minor flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.