US3566956A - Liquid metal cooling system - Google Patents

Liquid metal cooling system Download PDF

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Publication number
US3566956A
US3566956A US735637A US3566956DA US3566956A US 3566956 A US3566956 A US 3566956A US 735637 A US735637 A US 735637A US 3566956D A US3566956D A US 3566956DA US 3566956 A US3566956 A US 3566956A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
liquid metal
gap
porous layer
cooling system
pressure
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US735637A
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English (en)
Inventor
Eleonoor Van Andel
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European Atomic Energy Community Euratom
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European Atomic Energy Community Euratom
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21C—NUCLEAR REACTORS
    • G21C15/00—Cooling arrangements within the pressure vessel containing the core; Selection of specific coolants
    • G21C15/02—Arrangements or disposition of passages in which heat is transferred to the coolant; Coolant flow control devices
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21C—NUCLEAR REACTORS
    • G21C1/00—Reactor types
    • G21C1/02—Fast fission reactors, i.e. reactors not using a moderator ; Metal cooled reactors; Fast breeders
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21C—NUCLEAR REACTORS
    • G21C15/00—Cooling arrangements within the pressure vessel containing the core; Selection of specific coolants
    • G21C15/02—Arrangements or disposition of passages in which heat is transferred to the coolant; Coolant flow control devices
    • G21C15/04—Arrangements or disposition of passages in which heat is transferred to the coolant; Coolant flow control devices from fissile or breeder material
    • 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

  • LIQUID METAL COOLING SYSTEM I 3 clalms3 D'awmg ABSTRACT A method and apparatus for cooling a heated- [52] US. Cl 162/2, surface by means of liquid metal. A porous layer is spaced a- 165/105 short distance from the heated surface and the gap [51] Int. Cl F25b 13/00 therebetween is filled with a liquid metal held under pressure Field of Search /1, 2, to prevent its boiling. After the liquid metal passes through the porous layer it vaporizes, cools, is condensed and recirculated.
  • the invention relates to a liquidinetal cooling system for nuclear reactors.
  • Liquid metals more particularly alkaline metals, have recently been foundto be suitable coolants for rapid nuclear reactors, since they have satisfactory resistance to radiation, a high boiling temperature and a low moderating effect.
  • their boiling state is still difficult to control, since the boiling delay as compared with that of water can be considerable, and the high coefficient of heat transfer makes boiling start explosively at the same time throughout the whole volumeof the metal.
  • boiling must be avoided in nuclear reactors until it has become dynamically controlled, whileon the other hand it is precisely a cooling cycle with pliaseialtemation liquid-vaporliquid which can remove such larger quantities of heat than a single-phase cycle.
  • the invention provides a method of cooling a heated surface in which a liquid metal is introduced into agap between the surface and a porous layer disposed in front of or around said surface, said liquid metal in said gap being undera pressure such that it does not boil in the gap atthe temperature to which it is heated by contact with the surface.
  • the liquid is passed through the porous layer to azone of lower pressure where it vaporizes and the vapor then 'flows to a heat sink where it is condensed for recirculation.
  • the invention also provides a liquid metal cooling system for a heated wall by means of a fine porous layer which is disposed in front of the wall at a small predetermined distance therefrom, and liquid metal is introduced into the, gap produced by this distance at a pressure such that the liquid metal does not boil at the heating temperature, but passes through the pores in the layer the liquid metal to reach a zone of lower pressure, in that zonethe liquid metal vaporizes and then flows to a heat sink, forinstance a heat exchanger.
  • the pressure in the gap is produced by a liquid metal reservoir disposed at a suitable height above the wall.
  • FIG. 1 is a partial section through a heating rod with a cooling system according to the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a graph showing the radial temperature and pressure distribution corresponding to FIG. .1;
  • FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic section through a complete nuclear reactor with the cooling system according to the invention.
  • FIG; 1 shows an internally heated rod 1 enclosed by a porous tube.2.
  • the rod diameter and the tube internal diameter are such as to leave a uniform predetermined distance (gap 3) betweenthe two members and a liquid coolant-cg, an alkali metal-isforced into the gap 3 under pressure.
  • the optimum width of the gap is of the order of magnitude of up to 1 mm., so that precisely the required quantity of coolant can be introduced without excessive pressure losses. Too
  • FIG. 2 shows the radial course of temperature: from the rod surface onwards.
  • the temperature (continuous line) drops only a little in the gap and in the tube, so that vaporization on emergence from the pores is ensured substantially exclusively by the difference in pressure (chain line).
  • the jump in pressure on emergence from the pores is caused bythe high surface tension of the liquid metal and meniscus formation in a capillary channel).
  • the size and density of the pores in the tube are such that at the selected liquid pressure the quantity of liquid which emerges through the pores just ensures complete vaporization. Leakage or discharge of the liquid on the vapor side, and dry- .ing out of the pores should both be prevented. With changing heat output, this requirement seems difficult to meet, but in factthis can easily bo done because of the pumping-effect of the capillary'forces, if the outersurface of the tube slightly dries out, a curved surface is produced] in each pore, so that the capillary pumping effectis increased, and more liquid material is delivered. Calculations have shown that neither leakage nor drying out is caused by a change in the heating surface loading in the ratio 1 50. Energy densities of, for instance SOOW/Cm and 10 W/Cm can therefore be reliably removed by the same cooling arrangement; The cooling system is therefore very stable-a great advantage in view of the safety requirements of nuclear reactors.
  • FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically in simplified form a reactor core whose rod-shaped fuel elements 4 are inserted in porous tubes 5, for instance of sintered steel, as shown in FIG. 1.
  • a reservoir 6 for the liquid metal is disposed above the reactor core and communicates with the gaps in all the fuel elements.
  • the pressure is produced by a pump which ensures that the level of the liquid material in the reservoir 6 remains constant.
  • the pump can act on a pump chamber 8 below the fuel elements via a feed line 7.
  • the reservoir 6 both maintains pressure and also provides a I very effective biological screen in the upward direction and pump to the pump chamber 8.
  • the heat exchangers are preferably disposed in a circle directly at the core edge, so that the vaporcan flow out in all directions through and between the pipes 5.
  • the speed of the vapor can be the speed of sound; this is a adiabatic expansion with a large difference in pressure.
  • the high transportation of heat energy and the relatively small amount of coolant in the reactor core in the system according to the invention enable a compact rapid neutron reactor to be designed with a high breeding ratexHowever, the system according to the invention can advantageously also be used in thermal reactors.
  • a method of cooling a heated surface comprising:

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Structure Of Emergency Protection For Nuclear Reactors (AREA)
  • Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)
US735637A 1967-06-16 1968-06-10 Liquid metal cooling system Expired - Lifetime US3566956A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DEE0034206 1967-06-16

Publications (1)

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US3566956A true US3566956A (en) 1971-03-02

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ID=7076652

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US735637A Expired - Lifetime US3566956A (en) 1967-06-16 1968-06-10 Liquid metal cooling system

Country Status (9)

Country Link
US (1) US3566956A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
BE (1) BE716685A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CH (1) CH474035A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE1551454A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR1572584A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1198910A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
LU (1) LU56249A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL6808135A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
SE (1) SE329446B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1241441A (en) * 1968-02-07 1971-08-04 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Improvements in or relating to nuclear reactors
DE1807986A1 (de) * 1968-11-06 1970-06-11 Euratom Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur gleichmaessigen Kuehlmittelverteilung auf den Heizflaechen in einem metallgekuehlten Reaktor oder Verdampfer
DE2036568A1 (en) * 1970-07-23 1972-01-27 Interatom Liquid sodium aerosol filters - for sodium cooled nuclear power stations
FR2119834A1 (en) * 1970-12-18 1972-08-11 Commissariat Energie Atomique Sodium-cooled reactor - with natural convection circulation
DE2262673C3 (de) * 1972-12-21 1981-04-02 Schladitz, Hermann J., Prof., 8000 München Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Verdampfen von Heizöl

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CH474035A (de) 1969-06-15
NL6808135A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1968-12-17
DE1551454A1 (de) 1970-04-02
GB1198910A (en) 1970-07-15
SE329446B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1970-10-12
LU56249A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1968-09-23
BE716685A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1968-12-02
FR1572584A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1969-06-27

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