RU180121U1 - DEVICE FOR REGULATED COOLING OF LIQUID METAL IN TUBES OF REACTORS ON FAST NEUTRONS - Google Patents

Abstract

Purpose: to control the temperature of the working fluid in the pipes or to create an ice plug in them. The essence of the utility model: the device’s body is made of an elastic heat-insulating matrix with smaller holes for thermoelectric modules and side restrictive ribs, and the base and body covers are made in the form of flexible heat-receiving and heat-removing heat-conducting plates installed by the ends on both sides of the modules in the slots of the matrix. A flexible radiator with developed cooling is installed on top of the heat-conducting plate The device is equipped with a lock fastening at its ends, and the modules are electrically connected and connected to the output terminals. The device allows you to quickly control the temperature of liquid alkali metals entering the cold traps of the reactor to remove impurities, as well as to create ice plugs in pipes if necessary to repair The latter. The device can operate from a mobile portable power source, which allows it to be used in hard-to-reach places both at nuclear power plants and in other sectors of the national ozyaystva.

Description

The utility model relates to temperature control systems for liquid alkali metals entering cold traps to clean them of impurities [1, 2], as well as to freeze liquid metal and create ice plugs of different diameters that require emergency repair or replacement of a part of the pipe.

Known "Device for accelerated freezing and subsequent thawing of liquid alkali metal in the pipes of reactors of nuclear power plants pipes of reactors of nuclear power plants" [3]. The device includes a detachable casing, mounted on the pipe and containing an end cap, compressed air swirlers and an inlet pipe, which is connected to the exits of the vortex tube “hot” and “cold” through passage valves, and the inlet of the vortex tube is connected to the compressed air line through a control valve.

The disadvantage of this device is the lack of mobility and autonomy of its use, since it requires a compressed air line, or long hoses to connect them to the line.

The autonomy of the use of such devices can provide designs that use thermoelectric modules powered by stand-alone portable batteries or other electrical sources to which the power cable can be connected.

The well-known "Thermoelectric battery" [4], which solves the problem of eliminating thermal shunting, increasing thermoelectric figure of merit and mechanical strength.

The disadvantage of this device is the necessity of applying an oxide film to aluminum foil and then producing an embossing (zigovka) on the foil, as well as in areas for arranging busbars. This will provide some mutual mobility, but will not allow pipes of different diameters to be wrapped with this device.

The well-known "Thermoelectric cooling module" [5], which is a matrix of thermoelectric pairs, each of which is electrically connected and arranged in the form of a sandwich structure between two heat-conducting plates, with a layer of organometallic compound and a layer of material on silicone located between the bus and the plate basis.

This device solves the problem of developing a separate thermoelectric cooling module with increased reliability, at a higher temperature and in conditions of multiple thermal cycling. However, the case of this device is flat, therefore it is not designed autonomously for placement on the round surface of the pipe.

Also known is the “Thermoelectric Module” [6], selected as a prototype, having a protective casing, consisting of a heat-receiving base and a heat-removing lid, equipped with pressure glands, thermocouples and elements reinforcing the casing in the form of stiffeners or corrugation from different metals are placed inside the casing. This module has a robust housing with several thermocouples and, using flexible connections between the housings, we can suggest using this kind of tape to place it around the pipe to obtain the effect of cooling the latter.

The disadvantage of such a device will be the low efficiency of its use due to the loose fit of the flat body to the round surface of the pipe, as well as in the absence of thermal shunting, since most of the cooled air at the points of contact of the body and pipe will escape into the space between adjacent buildings.

The objective of the proposed utility model is to eliminate these drawbacks and create a mobile device on thermoelectric modules for cooling the working fluid in pipes of different diameters with high performance.

The technical result of the proposed model is as follows:

- the cooling period of the working fluid in the pipe was reduced by making the housing of an elastic heat-insulating matrix with side ribs and smaller holes for thermoelectric modules placed in them, as well as by installing heat-conducting plates in the matrix slots on both sides of the modules, which allowed thermally shunting - to exclude the mixing of chilled air between the "cold" and "hot" surfaces of the plates;

- increased efficiency of the device due to the enhancement of heat removal from the plate from the "hot" surface due to the placement of an external flexible radiator with additional heat sink rods on top of it, the ends of the radiator equipped with lock fasteners.

The drawings show: FIG. 1 is a top view of the proposed device assembly; FIG. 2 is a plan view of an elastic matrix; FIG. 3 is a sectional view aa in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is an example of placing the device on a part of the pipe.

“Device for controlled cooling of metal in pipes of fast neutron reactors” contains a heat-insulating matrix (lodgement) 1 of elastic tape material, which has holes 2 in which thermoelectric modules 3 are serially connected with interference, and grooves 4 for flexible heat-receiving flexible ends plate 5 and heat sink flexible plate 6 mounted on both sides of the modules. A flexible external radiator 7 with a developed cooling surface is installed on top of the heat sink plate, for example, equipped with rods 8 and having locks at the ends 9. In addition, the matrix is equipped with restrictive side ribs 10 that fix the relative position of the plates and the radiator, as well as common output terminals 11 of the modules connecting the device to a power source.

The proposed device operates as follows. In assembled form (Fig. 1), the device as a flexible tape is applied to the pipe (Fig. 4) and secured with lock fasteners, which can be Velcro, used on shoes and clothes, just twine, etc. If the pipe circumference is greater than the length of one device tape, two or more similar devices are connected in series, and their output terminals 11 are connected to a common DC power source (not shown in the drawing). There are also options for mounting devices individually from different sides of the pipe or placement in several adjacent rows to provide accelerated freezing of the working fluid in the pipes.

After placing the device on the pipe, an electric current is supplied from the source through terminals 11 to thermoelectric modules 3 in accordance with their electrical characteristics. The heat-receiving plate 5, which is in contact with the “cold” electrode of the modules 3, will accumulate their cold temperature and transfer it to the pipe surface, cooling it and the liquid (working fluid) inside the pipe (Figs. 3, 4). At the same time, the heat-removing plates 6, which are in contact with the “hot” electrodes of the modules 3, accumulate their released heat energy and transmit it to the external radiator 7 to dissipate it into the surrounding space.

By adjusting the current strength and the operating time of the device, the optimal cooling temperature, for example, liquid sodium, is determined for passing it through the cold traps of the reactor to purify sodium from impurities.

When applying more current to the modules 3 or increasing the device’s operating time, they achieve the creation of an ice plug - complete freezing of liquid sodium in the selected section of the pipe to be repaired: applying a patch to the defective section, cutting out part of the pipe, etc.

Defrosting of the ice plug is carried out by changing the polarity of the power supply at the output terminals 11 of the device modules, the time of which also depends on the amount of current supplied to the modules and on the number of similar devices simultaneously used on the pipe. Defrosting without changing the polarity can also be done by opening the lock fastening 9, removing the external radiator 7, the heat sink plate 6 and turning the matrix 1 180 degrees together with the thermoelectric modules 3 fixed in it.

High performance of the proposed device is achieved due to the fact that the mixing of air from the "hot" and "cold" electrodes of the modules 3 is excluded. This is achieved by placing (Fig. 4) sections of the elastic matrix 1 between adjacent modules 3 and installing the modules in the holes 2 of the matrix 1 smaller sizes (in tightness). When bending the device, superimposed on the pipe, these sections of the matrix are compressed and create an obstacle to the flow of air between the electrodes.

The proposed utility model, depending on its design and purpose, can use thermoelectric modules for different capacities and sizes [7].

The proposed device can also find application in public utilities when freezing water: creating ice plugs in pipes, if it is not possible to block the flow in the pipes with valves.

Given the versatility and mobility of the proposed device, we should expect its widespread use in various industries.

INFORMATION SOURCES

1. Kozlov F.A., Volchkov L.G. et al. Liquid-metal coolants of nuclear power plants: purification from impurities and their control. M., Energoatomizdat, 1983, p. 63.

2. Jean-Thiers le Jeanne, Noel Lyon. Cooled trap. USSR patent No. 291526. IPC G21C 15/02. Applicant: “Commissariat L. Energy Atomic” (France).

3. Tashlykov O. L., Popov A. I., Scheklein S. E. A device for accelerated freezing and subsequent thawing of liquid alkali metal in the pipes of nuclear power plants. RF patent for utility model No. 171057. IPC G21B 1/00.

4. Lutz Goye, Christian Heber et al. Thermoelectric battery. USSR patent No. 409456. IPC H01 / 02. The applicant is a foreign company “Harald Hoffman and Wolf K.G.

5. Annenkov A.N. et al. Thermoelectric cooling module. RF patent for utility model No. 51288. IPC H01L 35/28. Applicant Crystal NGO.

6. Bochkov L.V., Vinogradov A.S. and other thermoelectric module. RF patent for utility model No. 1155566. IPC H01L 35/28 (prototype).

7. Thermoelectric modules for industrial applications [electronic resource], http://kryothermtec.com/en.

8. Terekov A.Ya et al. Thermoelectric battery. RF patent No. 2230397. IPC H01L 35/28. Patent holder of NPO "Quantum".

9. Andrushchenko S.V. and others. Cascade thermoelectric refrigerator. USSR author's certificate 3 453538. IPC F25B 21/02; H01V 1/28.

10. Lipatov V.V. Thermoelectric battery. RF patent №2142177. IPC H01L 35/02; H01L 35/32.

11. Kamensky V.T. Thermoelectric cooling module. RF patent №2117362. IPC H01L 35/28. Patent holder of hard currency "Nord".

12. US patent 6034318, 2000.

13. British patent 1025687, 1966.

14. U.S. Patent 5171372, 1922.

Claims (1)

A device for the controlled cooling of liquid metal in pipes of fast neutron reactors, comprising a housing of a heat-receiving base, a heat-removing cover, thermocouples and thermoelectric modules, characterized in that the housing is made of an elastic thermally insulated matrix with side restrictive ribs and with smaller openings for placement in the matrix modules, base and covers are made in the form of flexible heat-receiving and heat-removing heat-conducting plates installed by the ends on both sides Oron modules into the slots of the matrix, and on top of the heat sink plates mounted radiator advanced flexible cooling surface, equipped at its ends with a locking bracket, wherein the modules are electrically connected and are connected to common output terminals sealed leads.

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