Coolant circulation system for a liquid metal nuclear reactor
AssigneeStone & Webster Engineering Corp.
InventorsRobert A. DeLuca, George Garabedian
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid metal circulation system is disclosed which is suitable for use in connection with a nuclear reactor. The circulation system of the invention includes an electromagnetic pump having a central core body featuring a helically configured, six pole magnet, optionally directing flow to one or a series of flow couplers, which generates sufficient liquid metal flow to be used as the primary circulation means for the nuclear reactor. The increased safety, design simplicity, and efficiency of such circulation system overcomes many of the drawbacks of conventional circulation systems.
Claims22
A liquid metal circulation system comprising an electromagnetic pump comprised of:
- (a) an elongated cylindrical pump support housing;
- (b) a cylindrical pressure dome structure coaxially situated and supported within said pump support housing, having a closed, hemispherical upper end and an open, cylindrical lower end;
- (c) a cylindrical pump coaxially situated within said pressure dome structure including
- (1) a central core body of laminated transformer steel having six peripherally equally spaced helical grooves on its outer surface extending the entire length of said central core body,
- (2) a multiplicity of square, ceramic insulated copper wires situated in said helical grooves,
- (3) electrical leads extending from the terminal ends of said square copper wires through the upper end of said pressure dome structure and to a three-phase low voltage/high amperage power source,
- (4) an austenitic stainless steel jacket covering the outer surface of said central core body and covering said helically coiled square copper wires, said outer stainless steel jacket and the inner surface of said pressure dome structure defining an annular flow passage, said stainless steel jacket being electrically insulated from said square copper wires and said central core body by glass cloth-synthetic mica insulation while maintaining sufficient thermal contact to permit heat transfer from the copper wires and central core body to the annular flow passage,
- (5) a plurality of vertical baffles extending into said annular flow passage and equally spaced radially about said central core body, which baffles are effective to inhibit rotational flow or liquid metal about said central body in said annular flow passage,
- (6) a central flow cylinder extending longitudinally through the center of said central core body;
- and
- (d) a discharge pipe connected to the lower end of the central flow cylinder and extending to the outside of said cylindrical pump support housing.
A liquid metal heat exchanger module comprising a cylindrical satellite vessel closed at both ends being separated into upper and lower plenums, said upper plenum having at least one intake duct and said lower plenum having at least one outlet duct, said liquid metal heat exchanger module further comprising:
- a liquid metal circulation system comprising
- (a) an elongated cylindrical pump support housing having a closed lower end and having a series of perforations providing communication between said lower plenum and the inside of the pump support housing;
- (b) a cylindrical pressure dome structure coaxially situated and supported within said pump support housing, having a closed, hemispherical upper end and an open, cylindrical lower end;
- (c) a cylindrical pump coaxially situated within said pressure dome structure including
- (1) a central core body of laminated transformer steel having six peripherally equally spaced helical grooves on its outer surface extending the entire length of said central core body,
- (2) a multiplicity of square, ceramic insulated copper wires situated in said helical grooves,
- (3) electrical leads extending from the upper terminal ends of said square copper wires through the upper end of said pressure dome structure and to a three-phase low voltage/high amperage power source,
- (4) a austenitic stainless steel jacket covering the outer surface of said central core body and covering said helically coiled copper wires, said outer stainless steel jacket and the inner surface of said pressure dome structure defining an annular flow passage, said stainless steel jacket being electrically insulated from said square copper wires and said central core body by glass cloth-synthetic mica insulation while maintaining sufficient thermal contact to permit heat transfer from the copper wires and central core body to the annular flow passage, the lower end of said annular flow passasge being higher than said perforations in the cylindrical pump support housing,
- (5) a plurality of vertical baffles extending into said annular flow passage and equally spaced radially about said central core body, which baffles are effective to inhibit rotational flow of liquid metal about said central core body in said annular flow passage,
- (6) a central flow cylinder extending longitudinally through the center of said central bore body;
- and
- (d) a discharge pipe connected to the lower end of the central flow cylinder and extending to the outside of said cylindrical pump housing;
- (e) heat exchanger means capable of receiving liquid metal from the upper plenum and and introducing it into the lower plenum at a lower temperature.
The liquid metal heat exchanger module of 16, wherein said permanent magnet plates are composed of Alnico No. 6.
A pool reactor comprising a vessel, a nuclear core which is cooled by a liquid metal, at least one heat exchanger capable of receiving heated liquid metal from said nuclear core and discharging liquid metal at a lower temperature, and a liquid metal circulation system comprising an electromagnetic pump including
- (a) an elongated cylindrical pump support housing;
- (b) a cylindrical pressure dome structure coaxially situated and supported within said pump support housing, having a closed, hemispherical upper end and an open, cylindrical lower end;
- (c) a cylindrical pump coaxially situated within said pressure dome structure including
- (1) a central core body of laminated transformer steel having six peripherally equally spaced helical grooves on its outer surface extending the entire length of said central core body,
- (2) a multiplicity of ceramic square, insulated copper wires situated in said helical grooves,
- (3) electrical leads extending from the terminal ends of said square copper wires through the upper end of said pressure dome structure and to a three-phase low voltage/high amperage power source,
- (4) an austenitic stainless steel jacket covering the outer surface of said central core body and covering said helically coiled copper wires, said outer stainless steel jacket and the inner surface of said pressure dome structure defining an annular flow passage, said stainless steel jacket being electrically insulated from said square copper wires and said central core body by glass cloth-synthetic mica insulation while maitnaining sufficient thermal contact to permit heat transfer from the copper wires and central core body to the annular flow passage,
- (5) a plurality of vertical baffles extending into said annular flow passage and equally spaced radially about said central core body, which baffles are effective to inhibit rotational flow of liquid metal about said central core body in said annular flow passage,
- (6) a central flow cylinder extending longitudinally through the center of said central core body;
- and
- (d) a discharge pipe connected to the lower end of the central flow cylinder and extending to the nuclear core.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.