DE1038665B - Loading and unloading device for a reactor operated with high cooling gas pressure - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a loading and unloading device for a device with high coolant pressure operated reactor, and it consists in the fuel elements or their individual sections when loading via a gas-tight shut-off device in and out of a loading and unloading chamber another shut-off device can be fed into the reactor. According to another embodiment According to the invention, the loading chamber can be arranged separately from the unloading chamber. Appropriately the chambers are located below the reactor and are connected to it through a conveyor pipe connected, through which with the help of an elevator mechanism the fuel elements in the reactor to be brought.

To feed gas-cooled reactors, these previously had to be used to replace the fuel elements shut down and drain the coolant. Newer reactors are loaded and unloaded in the way that the reactor is shut down, but the coolant remains under pressure in the reactor. It may also be unnecessary to shut down the reactor. The loading or unloading happens in such a way that gas-tight loading pipes are placed on the reactor cover and sealed and that the fuel elements are then introduced or removed through these pipes. One such The process is time consuming, expensive and especially not in modern high enrichment reactors applicable, since the fuel elements in relatively short time intervals due to the large output power need to be changed. A large number of loading supports on the lid are also necessary in order to to be able to capture the whole reactor core. In the case of small reactors, the arrangement prepares for the tight space difficulties. In addition, there are systems of this type with ever higher coolant pressures work to achieve the highest possible heat transfer coefficients, are the previous devices for it to be regarded as costly.

The loading and unloading device according to the invention allows the introduction and removal of the Fuel elements without lowering the coolant pressure in the reactor. It works in the upper part of the Reactor a z. B. electrically controlled and gas-tight to the outside manipulator, which can coat all points of the reactor core and reflector.

The drawing represents the subject matter of the invention in a simplified manner in one embodiment; it shows ■ Fig. 1 a section through a gas-cooled graphite-moderated reactor and

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a loading and unloading device.

Loading and unloading device

for one with high cooling gas pressure

operated reactor

Applicant:

Deutsche Babcock & Wilcox-Dampfkessel-Werke Aktien-Gesellschaft,
Oberhausen (RhId.), Duisburger Str. 375

Dr.-Ing. Hartwig Benzler and Roland Kühnel,

Oberhausen (RhId.),
have been named as inventors

The gas-cooled graphite-moderated reactor shown schematically in Fig. 1 consists of a cylindrical one Reactor core 1, which is surrounded by a jacket 2 and an insulation layer 3. The reactor core is stored in the spherical pressure vessel 4, which has a thermal insulation layer on its outside 5 carries. The heat transfer medium coming from a heat exchanger (not shown), in this case cooling gas enters the pressure vessel via line 6 in the direction of arrow 7, absorbs heat from the reactor core 1 and is returned via line 8 in the direction of arrows 9 returned to the heat exchanger. A branch line 10 from the coolant supply line 6 leads to the bottom of the reactor and enters the double bottom 12 through a nozzle 11 for cooling.

The reactor is charged with new fuel elements via the gate valve 13 in the loading and unloading drum 14, which with the help of the drum drive 15 around the vertical central axis is rotatable, and further via the gate valve 16 into the conveyor pipe 17. The drum 14 is with a Capacity for, for example, twenty fuel elements and is increased when filling the axis rotated to each have a hole for receiving the fissile material elements under the gate valve 13 bring. From the drum 14, the individual sticks are made with the help of the elevator 18 conveyed into the bore 19 in the reactor shell 2 and removed therefrom with the aid of the manipulator 20. The elevator can be operated by opposing threads, cables or the like. With help of the arm 21, the manipulator 20 sweeps all

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Place the reactor core and reflector and can remove the individual fuel elements from the bore 19 the corresponding bores of the reactor core 1 to be loaded. The manipulator comes with Using the gear drive 22 operated in a known manner. The elevator tube lying outside the reactor core 17 can optionally also be attached outside the reflector. The regulation of the reactor takes place in a known manner by control rods 23 with the aid of the drives 24. For better clarity because of the holes for the retraction of the control rods as well as for the reception of the fuel elements not shown. The entire reactor is from the concrete jacket 25 for biological shielding surround.

The device according to the invention is shown enlarged in FIG. The individual fuel elements are in the direction of arrow 28 via the open gate valve 13 via the storage chamber 14 in the bore 26 brought. The gate valve 16 is closed. With the help of the drum drive 15, after an element has been introduced, the storage chamber 14 is rotated by one element made and the next element introduced, etc., until the entire storage chamber 14 is loaded. The gate valve 13 is then closed and the gate valve 16 is opened. This will make the Storage chamber 14 placed under full operating pressure and the elements from the individual receiving chambers, such as the chamber 27 through which Elevator 18 is conveyed to the manipulator. If the drum 14 is empty, the gate valve 16 is closed and the pressure is blown off via a line not shown. Then the slide 13 reopened and the next fuel elements filled.

In reverse order, the discharge of the individual spent fuel elements is stopped made the reactor. It is possible according to the invention, a separate discharge chamber, the similar to how the loading chamber 14 is built to be provided. In this case, it is expedient to use the lowest part a slide 29 (shown in dashed lines) is provided, which opens the unloading drum and a The spent fuel elements fall through a discharge chute 30 into a storage area the used fuel elements provided water basin allows. For this case it is to provide a cooling of the fuel elements in the unloading channel and in the unloading drum and likewise to protect the drum against radiation to the outside by means of armor. When using two Drums, it is advisable to equalize the pressure on the two drums.

Claims (5)

Patent claims: 1. Loading and unloading device for a reactor operated with high cooling gas pressure, characterized in that the fission material rods or their individual sections during loading via a gas-tight shut-off device into a loading and unloading chamber and from there via a further shut-off device can be conveyed into the reactor. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the loading and unloading chambers are separated are arranged. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the loading and unloading chamber (or more) is (are) below the reactor and with it through a conveying pipe is (are) connected. 4. Device according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the elevator mechanism is pressure-tight and arranged below the loading and unloading chamber in such a way that it works through the chamber. 5. Device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the discharge chamber has radiation protection. 1 sheet of drawings © 809 637/388 9.58