US3079320A - Arrangement of control bars in an atomic pile - Google Patents

Arrangement of control bars in an atomic pile Download PDF

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Publication number
US3079320A
US3079320A US787158A US78715859A US3079320A US 3079320 A US3079320 A US 3079320A US 787158 A US787158 A US 787158A US 78715859 A US78715859 A US 78715859A US 3079320 A US3079320 A US 3079320A
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United States
Prior art keywords
elements
nuclear fuel
cylinder
pair
reactor
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Expired - Lifetime
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US787158A
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English (en)
Inventor
Weill Jacky
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives CEA
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Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique CEA
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21C—NUCLEAR REACTORS
    • G21C7/00—Control of nuclear reaction
    • G21C7/06—Control of nuclear reaction by application of neutron-absorbing material, i.e. material with absorption cross-section very much in excess of reflection cross-section
    • G21C7/08—Control of nuclear reaction by application of neutron-absorbing material, i.e. material with absorption cross-section very much in excess of reflection cross-section by displacement of solid control elements, e.g. control rods
    • G21C7/18—Means for obtaining differential movement of control elements
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21C—NUCLEAR REACTORS
    • G21C7/00—Control of nuclear reaction
    • G21C7/30—Control of nuclear reaction by displacement of the reactor fuel or fuel elements
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E30/00—Energy generation of nuclear origin
    • Y02E30/30—Nuclear fission reactors

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to novel arrangements of control bars in an atomic pile, which, because of the small displacement of the bars, solves the problems of tightness, room required and protection.
  • This novel arrangement of control bars provides for displacement in relation to each other of the absorbing element or control bars and a portion of space inside the pile which includes a zone of substantial flow of neutrons and a zone free of neutrons, the neutron-free zone being obtained by a suitable arrangement of the fuel which increases its absorption of neutrons.
  • the principal advantage of small displacements of the control bars on the order of a few centimeters is that the displacements can be obtained by use of deformable membranes or by jacks of small stroke, as for example, cylinders and pistons. This considerably simplifies construction, and because of the small amplitude of displacement, solves the problems of joints, room required and protection.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the present invention in which the absorbing element is displaced relative to the fuel;
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 shows schematically an embodiment of the invention in which the fuel is displaced relative to the absorbing element.
  • elements 1, 2, 3, and 4 of nuclear fuel are arranged in tubes or rings at regular inetrvals over the entire height of the multiplier medium (not shown) following the general orientation of all of the fuel bars and can totally shield the absorbent medium.
  • the absorbent medium similarly disposed in clusters of cylindrical elements, 5, 6, 7 and 8 can, according to the invention, pass from an antireactivity of nearly zero (internal position relative to elements 1, 2, 3 and 4) to its maximum antireactivity (intercalary position relative to elements 1, 2, 3 and 4).
  • the absorbing element is in the form of cylindrical plates 9 and 10 rotatable about an axis 11 which is generally parallel to the direction of the fuel cartridges.
  • Axis 11 is coextensive with that of the two cylindrical plates 12 and 13 of nuclear fuel material which can totally shield elements 9 and 10* from thermal neutrons.
  • FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the nuclear fuel is movable relative to the absonbing material.
  • the control bar is a stationary cylinder 14- with its long axis generally parallel to the direction of the system of the pile.
  • the screen of nuclear fuel is disposed along four cylindrical portions 15, 16, 17 and 18 of which portions 15 and 16 are stationary and portions 17 and 18 are rotata ble about the axis of the assembly. Thus rotation of the portions 17 and 18 uncovers the absorbing material and increases its antireactivity from the minimum of nearly zero to its maximum.
  • the present invention can be used to control atomic piles with high velocity neutrons by replacing the absorbing elements of the embodiments above with elements of nuclear fuel which participate in the fission depending on their relative position.
  • the problem of cooling the screening nuclear fuel elements used in the invention can be solved simply by foliating these elements in such a way as to facilitate their heat exchange with the cooling fluid of the pile.
  • apparatus for the control of reactivity entirely within the active zone of the reactor comprising at least one first element capable of modifying the reactivity of the reactor as a function of the neutron flux to which it is subjected and at least one second element of nuclear fuel material substantially totally shielding said first element from neutrons in one position and means for displacing said elements with respect to each other to vary the shielding of said first element,
  • said first element comprising a stationary cylinder of neutron absorbing rnaterial
  • said second element QJmpIIlSr ing a pair of opposed fixed cylindrical portions of nuclear fuel spaced from saidcylinder and from each other and secon pai of 1 yl nd ice :portionsef nuclear fuel spaced from said cylinder and frorneachiot-her and-from said first pair of cylindrical portions and rotatable about said first pair of cylindrical portions, said cylinder and said cylindrical portions being coaxial.
  • apparatus for the control 9 r a v y ent e y ithi the active Zone of the rea tor co p i g a le s QI .fi1St;clement capable of modifying the reactivity of the reactor as a function of the-neutro flux to which it is subjected andat least one second element of nuclear fuel material substantially totally shielding said first element from neutrons in one position and means for displacing said elements with respect to each other to vary the shielding of said ,first element, said second elements including a pair of opposed spaced cylindrical portions of nuclear fuel and said first element comprising a pair of curved neutron absorbing plate elements mounted for equal and opposite rotary tions intoand outof the space between said cylindrical portions.
  • apparatus for the control of reactivity entirely within the active zone of the reactor comprising at least one first element capable of modifying the reactivity of the reactor as a function of the neutron flux to which it is subjected and at least one second element of nuclear fuel material substantially totally shielding said first element from neutrons in one position and means for displacing said elements With respect to each other to vary the shielding of said first element, said second elements comprising annular spaced elements of nuclear fuel and said first elements comprising spaced cylinders connected for unitary movement within said second annular elements.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Monitoring And Testing Of Nuclear Reactors (AREA)
US787158A 1958-01-29 1959-01-16 Arrangement of control bars in an atomic pile Expired - Lifetime US3079320A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR1153467X 1958-01-29

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3079320A true US3079320A (en) 1963-02-26

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US787158A Expired - Lifetime US3079320A (en) 1958-01-29 1959-01-16 Arrangement of control bars in an atomic pile

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US (1) US3079320A (en))
CH (1) CH354176A (en))
DE (1) DE1153467B (en))
FR (1) FR1190848A (en))
GB (1) GB892891A (en))
LU (1) LU36778A1 (en))
NL (2) NL112188C (en))

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3236737A (en) * 1960-11-28 1966-02-22 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Nuclear reactor with movable core portions
US3373082A (en) * 1965-01-20 1968-03-12 Alfa Laval Ab Control of nuclear power reactor
US3683209A (en) * 1967-01-03 1972-08-08 Bbc Brown Boveri & Cie Reactor core for thermionic nuclear reactor
US4941158A (en) * 1989-03-30 1990-07-10 The Babcock & Wilcox Company Nuclear reactivity control configuration

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1207522B (de) 1959-03-21 1965-12-23 Siemens Ag Regel- und Abschaltelement fuer Kernreaktoren
DE1173192B (de) * 1962-04-05 1964-07-02 Euratom Experimentier- und Regelstab fuer Kernreaktoren

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2852458A (en) * 1955-12-21 1958-09-16 Joseph R Dietrich Apparatus for controlling neutronic reactors
US2904487A (en) * 1954-11-17 1959-09-15 James J Dickson Control device

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AT166668B (de) * 1939-05-02 1950-09-11 Centre Nat Rech Scient Verfahren zur Stabilisierung der Kettenreaktion einer Vorrichtung zur Energieerzeugung durch Atomkernumwandlungen
DE1049014B (de) 1957-09-04 1959-01-22 Babcock & Wilcox Dampfkessel Reaktor und Vorrichtung zu seiner Regelung

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2904487A (en) * 1954-11-17 1959-09-15 James J Dickson Control device
US2852458A (en) * 1955-12-21 1958-09-16 Joseph R Dietrich Apparatus for controlling neutronic reactors

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3236737A (en) * 1960-11-28 1966-02-22 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Nuclear reactor with movable core portions
US3373082A (en) * 1965-01-20 1968-03-12 Alfa Laval Ab Control of nuclear power reactor
US3683209A (en) * 1967-01-03 1972-08-08 Bbc Brown Boveri & Cie Reactor core for thermionic nuclear reactor
US4941158A (en) * 1989-03-30 1990-07-10 The Babcock & Wilcox Company Nuclear reactivity control configuration

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1190848A (fr) 1959-10-15
LU36778A1 (en))
GB892891A (en) 1962-04-04
CH354176A (fr) 1961-05-15
DE1153467B (de) 1963-08-29
NL112188C (en))
NL235569A (en))

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