Method for passive cooling liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors, and system thereof

A method of enhancing the thermal transfer effectiveness of a passive cooling system for liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors having a pool of liquid metal coolant with the heat generating fissionable fuel core substantially immersed in said pool of liquid metal coolant, the passive cooling system including a combination of spaced apart side-by-side partitions in generally concentric arrangement and providing for intermediate fluid circulation and heat transfer therebetween, including a reactor vessel for containing a pool of liquid metal coolant with a fuel core substantially immersed therein, a metal side wall of the reactor vessel forming an innermost first partition, a containment vessel substantially surrounding the reactor vessel in spaced apart relation having a metal side wall forming a second partition, a collector cylinder substantially encircling the containment vessel in spaced apart relationship having an encircling metal wall forming an outer third partition, a concrete silo substantially surrounding the collector cylinder in spaced apart relation, a substantially circumferential circulating fluid flow course open to the atmosphere in an upper portion for circulating fluid coolant in a cycling flow circuit including downward intermediate the concrete silo and the third partition formed by the collector cylinder metal wall and back upward intermediate said third partition and the second partition formed by the containment vessel metal side wall, said method enhancing thermal transfer comprising producing a roughened surface substantially circumferentially around on a portion of the outer face of the second partition formed by the containment vessel metal side wall and the inner metal wall face of the third partition formed by the collector cylinder consisting essentially of providing a multiplicity of substantially horizontal protrusions projecting substantially perpendicular to the path of fluid flowing thereover to increase the convection heat transfer coefficient of the metal surface for greater heat removal capacity.

A method of enhancing the thermal transfer effectiveness of a passive cooling system for liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors having a pool of liquid metal coolant with the heat generating fissionable fuel core substantially immersed in said pool of liquid metal coolant, the passive cooling system including a combination of spaced apart side-by-side partitions in generally concentric arrangement and providing for intermediate fluid circulation and heat transfer therebetween, including a reactor vessel for continuing a pool of liquid metal coolant with a fuel core substantially immersed therein, a metal side wall of the reactor vessel forming an innermost first partition, a containment vessel substantially surrounding the reactor vessel in spaced apart relation having a metal side wall forming a second partition, a collector cylinder encircling the containment vessel in spaced apart relation having a metal side wall forming an outer third partition, a concrete silo substantially surrounding the collector cylinder in spaced apart relation, a substantially circumferential circulating fluid flow course for circulating fluid coolant in a cycling path including downward intermediate the concrete silo and the third partition formed by the collector cylinder wall and back upward intermediate said third partition wall and the second partition formed by the containment vessel side wall, said method of enhancing thermal transfer comprising welding a plurality of spaced apart generally horizontal protrusions on a portion of the outer face of the second metal partition formed by the containment vessel metal side wall and the inner face of the third metal partition formed by the collector cylinder, the weld formed generally horizontal protrusions extending circumferentially around and generally perpendicular to the faces of the partition walls and circumferentially around the containment vessel and collector cylinder said weld formed generally horizontal protrusions being substantially horizontal to the path of fluid flowing thereover to increase the convection heat transfer coefficient of the metal surface for greater heat removal capacity.

A passive cooling system for liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors having a pool of liquid metal coolant with the heat generating fissionable fuel core substantially immersed in said pool of liquid metal coolant, the passive cooling system including a combination of spaced apart side-by-side partitions in generally concentric arrangement and providing for intermediate fluid circulation and heat transfer therebetween, including a reactor vessel for containing a pool of liquid metal coolant with a fuel core substantially immersed therein, a metal side wall of the reactor vessel forming an innermost first partition, a containment vessel substantially surrounding the reactor vessel in spaced apart relation having a metal side wall forming a second partition, a collector cylinder substantially encircling the containment vessel in spaced apart relation having a metal side wall forming an outer third partition, a concrete silo substantially surrounding the collector cylinder in spaced apart relation, a substantially circumferential circulating fluid flow course for circulating fluid coolant in a cycling path downward intermediate the concrete silo and the third partition formed by the collector cylinder metal wall and back upward intermediate said third partition metal wall and the second partition metal wall formed by the containment vessel side wall, a circumferentially around portion of the outer face of the second partition formed by the containment vessel side wall and a portion of the inner face of the third partition formed by the collector cylinder having a roughened surface consisting essentially of substantially horizontal protrusions projecting substantially perpendicular to the path of fluid flowing thereover to increase the convection heat transfer coefficient of the metal surface for greater heat removal capacity.

A passive cooling system for liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors having a pool of liquid metal coolant with the heat generating fissionable fuel core substantially immersed in said pool of liquid metal coolant, the passive cooling system including metal coolant, the passive cooling system including a combination of spaced apart side-by-side partitions in generally concentric arrangement and providing for intermediate fluid circulation and heat transfer therebetween, including a cylindrical reactor vessel for containing a pool of liquid metal coolant with a fuel core substantially immersed therein and having a metal side wall of the reactor vessel forming an innermost first partition, a cylindrical containment vessel substantially surrounding the reactor vessel in spaced apart relation having a metal side wall forming a second partition, a collector cylinder substantially encircling the containment vessel in spaced apart relationship having a metal side wall forming an outer third partition, a cylindrical concrete silo substantially surrounding the collector cylinder in spaced apart relation, a substantially circumferential circulating fluid flow course for circulating a gas coolant in a cycling path downward intermediate the concrete silo and the third partition formed by the collector cylinder metal wall and back upwards intermediate said third partition metal wall and the second partition metal wall formed by the containment vessel side wall, a circumferentially around portion of the outer metal face of the second partition formed by the containment vessel side wall and a portion of the inner metal face of the third partition formed by the collector cylinder having roughened faces comprising weld produced protrusions extending generally perpendicular to the faces of the partition walls and running circumferentially around the cylindrical containment vessel and the collector cylinder consisting essentially of substantially horizontal protrusions projecting substantially perpendicular to the path of gas flowing thereover to increase the convection heat transfer coefficient of the metal surface for greater heat removal.