US3888212A - Liquid metal steam generator - Google Patents

Liquid metal steam generator Download PDF

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Publication number
US3888212A
US3888212A US300012A US30001272A US3888212A US 3888212 A US3888212 A US 3888212A US 300012 A US300012 A US 300012A US 30001272 A US30001272 A US 30001272A US 3888212 A US3888212 A US 3888212A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
inner cylinder
tube sheet
tubes
main tube
liquid metal
Prior art date
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
Application number
US300012A
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English (en)
Inventor
Walter Wolowodiuk
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.)
Foster Wheeler Inc
Original Assignee
Foster Wheeler Inc
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Foster Wheeler Inc filed Critical Foster Wheeler Inc
Priority to US300012A priority Critical patent/US3888212A/en
Priority to CA183,649A priority patent/CA976151A/en
Priority to JP48119778A priority patent/JPS5219242B2/ja
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3888212A publication Critical patent/US3888212A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F22—STEAM GENERATION
    • F22B—METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS
    • F22B1/00—Methods of steam generation characterised by form of heating method
    • F22B1/02—Methods of steam generation characterised by form of heating method by exploitation of the heat content of hot heat carriers
    • F22B1/06—Methods of steam generation characterised by form of heating method by exploitation of the heat content of hot heat carriers the heat carrier being molten; Use of molten metal, e.g. zinc, as heat transfer medium
    • F22B1/063—Methods of steam generation characterised by form of heating method by exploitation of the heat content of hot heat carriers the heat carrier being molten; Use of molten metal, e.g. zinc, as heat transfer medium for metal cooled nuclear reactors

Definitions

  • the steam is generated in a plurality of bayonet tubes which are heated by liquid metal flowing over them between an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder the inner cylinder extending above the level of liquid metal but below the main tube sheet, and a central pipe extends down into the inner cylinder with a centrifugal separator between it and the inner cylinder at its lower end and an involute deflector plate above the separator so that the products of a reaction between the liquid metal and the water will be deflected downwardly by the deflector plate and through the separator so that the liquid metal will flow outwardly and away from the central pipe through which the steam and gaseous reaction products are exhausted.
  • LIQUID METAL STEAM GENERATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION One of the most familiar types of nuclear power plants uses a liquid metal such as sodium to cool the reactor and to transfer heat to water to generate steam. Without proper precautions, such a system would be inherently unsafe because a failure in the surface which was used to indirectly exchange heat between the so dium and water would result in a violent reaction.
  • liquid metal steam generator be designed so that in the event of a violent reaction between liquid metal and water. the products of that reaction can be quickly exhausted out of the steam generator to a reservoir to prevent the build-up of a pressure sufficient to cause an explosion.
  • a liquid metal heated steam generator is provided with a vertically extending elongated body in which a series of bayonet tube assemblies are positioned to extend downward into a body of flowing liquid metal to thereby bring water into indirect heat exchange with the liquid metal to make steam.
  • the bayonet tubes are arranged in the annular space between an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder, the inner cylinder extending to a level below the top of the bayonet tubes but above the level of the body of liquid sodium.
  • a central relief pipe extends down into the inner cylinder, with a centrifugal separator placed between the pipe and the inner cylinder so that in the event of a reaction between the liquid sodium and the water, the products will flow upwardly over the top of the inner cylinder and then down through the centrifugal separator so that the liquid sodium is thrown outwardly and away from the bottom of the central pipe so that steam and other gases of the reaction can pass upwardly through the pipe and out of the steam generator to thereby prevent the generation of a pressure which would result in an explosion.
  • FIG. 1 shows a front view partly in section of a liquid metal heated steam generator made in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a view partly in section taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. I a sodium heated steam generator indicated generally as 10.
  • the generator has an outer shell 12 which is made up of an upper cylindrical section 14 which is closed at 16 at its top and has at its bottom an outwardly extending annular flange 18.
  • the flange l8 mates with a flange 20 which is positioned at the top ofa lower cylindrical section 22 which is closed at its bottom 24 so that the sections 14 and 22 can be bolted together to form substantially a cylindrical vessel with closed ends.
  • the lower cylindrical section 22 has a cylindrical side wall 26 which forms the outer cylinder of an annular space defined by it and a coaxial inner cylinder 28.
  • the liquid metal such as sodium which supplies heat to generate the steam flows through this annular space entering through the sodium inlet 30 which is placed in one side of the outer cylinder 22 at a location adjacent to the top thereof and leaves the generator 10 through a sodium outlet 32 in the bottom 24 of the lower cylindrical section 22.
  • the bayonet tubes 40 each have an outer tube 42 which projects downwardly from a main tube sheet 44 which is placed in the lower portion of the upper cylindrical section 14.
  • the upper tube sheet 44 is annular in configuration.
  • the bayonet tubes 40 each have an inner tube 46 which are coaxial with respect to the outer tubes 42 and which extend to a level above that of the main tube sheet 44 and to the upper tube sheet 48.
  • the bottoms of the outer tubes 42 are closed so that once the water passes through the inner tubes 46, it must reverse its direction and flow upwardly through the annular spaces between the inner tubes 46 and the outer tubes 42. It is during this upward flow that the water is converted into steam because of the heat furnished to the outer tubes 42 by the liquid sodium flowing downwardly from the liquid sodium inlet 30.
  • means can be positioned in the annular spaces between the outer tubes 42 and the inner tubes 46 to eliminate departure from nucleate boiling. Spiral vanes. for example, will induce sufficient tubulance to prevent layers of steam from forming on the inner walls of the outer tubes 42 and thereby assure that nucleate boiling is present during operation.
  • the generated steam is collected between the upper tube sheet 48 and the main tube sheet 44. It flows upwardly through a vapor duct 52 which projects through the center of the upper tube sheet 48 and leads into a vapor-water separator 54 at its upper end.
  • the vapor duct 52 and the vapor-water separator 54 are both coaxial with respect to a relief pipe 56 which extends through the center of both of them and which has a purpose which will be explained later.
  • the water which is separated out by the vapor-water separator 54 falls down in the space between the vapor duct 52 and the outer sheel 12 which is above an annular plate 58 encircling the vapor duct 52 and which at its outer periphery engages tightly against the outer shell 12.
  • the annular plate 58 is above the water inlet 50 and below a water outlet 60 in the side of the upper cylindrical section I4 of the generator 10.
  • the water which is separated out of the vapor by the vapor-water separator 54 drops downwardly to form a pool of water which is annular and above the annular plate 58 and between the vapor duct 52 and the outer shell 12 of the generator 10. This water flows outwardly through a water outlet 60 to be reintroduced eventually into the generator through the water inlet 50.
  • the relief pipe 56 extends through the top 16 of the upper cylindrical section 14 and downward to a level below the top of the inner cylinder 28. It also extends through a deflector 70 which has a cylindrical side wall 72 which extends through and engages against the main tube sheet 44, and an inward curving top 74. The deflector 70 is above the inner cylinder 28 and prevents any communication through the main tube sheet 44 except through the bayonet tubes 40.
  • a cylindrical separator 80 is positioned in the space between the central relief pipe 56 and inner cylinder 28. It is close to the bottom of the relief pipe 56 and close to the top of the inner cylinder 28. Essentially it consists of a series of spiral vanes 82 which are shown in plan in FIG. 2.
  • the products of the reaction will follow the path of least resistance and move upwardly between the inner cylinder 28 and the outer cylinder 26. They will then move inwardly over the top of the inner cylinder 28 and down through the centrifugal separator 80. Because the vanes 82 are spiral in configuration, the products of reaction will move in a helical path through the separator 80. The heavier products of the reaction, that is, the liquid sodium will move outwardly so that it will cling against the side of the inner cylinder 28, the transition section 34 and drain pipe 36 to leave the steam generator 10 while the gaseous products of the reaction can move unobstructed upward through the relief pipe 56.
  • a liquid metal heated heat exchanger wherein said liquid metal is the primary fluid and the secondary liquid is water which will react violently with the liquid metal if it should contact the metal, comprising:
  • a primary fluid inlet for admitting fluid in the upper portion of the space between the inner cylinder and said outer cylinder;
  • a primary fluid outlet for allowing said primary fluid to pass out of the annular space between said inner cylinder and said outer cylinder
  • heat exchange tubes for carrying secondary fluid to be heated by said primary fluid, said heat exchange tubes extending parallel to said inner cylinder and said outer cylinder in the annular space between said inner cylinder and said outer cylinder;
  • centrifugal separator positioned in the annular space between said relief pipe and said inner cylinder;
  • the heat exchanger defined in claim 1 further comprising a drain pipe connected to the bottom of said inner cylinder for allowing the heavy products of a reaction between said primary fluid and said secondary fluid to move out of said heat exchanger.
  • the heat exchanger defined in claim 2 further comprising; an annular main tube sheet wherein said tubes pass through said annular main tube sheet, said annular main tube sheet being positioned above said centrifugal separator, an outer shell. said outer shell encircling said tubes, said main tube sheet being sealed at its outer periphery to said shell, said relief pipe extending down through said main tube sheet, and a deflector plate bridging the annular space between said relief pipe and said main tube sheet to deflect the products of a reaction between said primary fluid and said secondary fluid caused by a failure of one or more of said tubes downwardly and into said centrifugal separator.
  • the heat exchanger defined in claim 3 further comprising a vapor duct encircling said relief pipe above said deflector, an annular plate encircling said relief pipe above said main tube sheet, a water steam separator above said plate and communicating with the top of said vapor duct so that water coming out of said separator will form a pool on said plate.
  • the heat exchanger in claim 5 further comprising a vapor drier, said drier encircling said relief pipe above said separator.
  • said tubes are components of bayonet tube assemblies and include outer tubes extending downwardly from said main tube sheet and which are closed at the lower ends thereof, and inner tubes, said heat exchanger further comprising an upper tube sheet positioned between said annular plate and said main tube sheet, a water inlet for bringing in water above said upper tube sheet to be fed down through said inner tubes, said vapor duct having a bottom positioned below said upper tube sheet and above said main tube sheet to collect the vapor coming up from the annular space between said inner tubes and said outer tubes.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Heat-Exchange Devices With Radiators And Conduit Assemblies (AREA)
US300012A 1972-10-24 1972-10-24 Liquid metal steam generator Expired - Lifetime US3888212A (en)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US300012A US3888212A (en) 1972-10-24 1972-10-24 Liquid metal steam generator
CA183,649A CA976151A (en) 1972-10-24 1973-10-17 Liquid metal steam generator
JP48119778A JPS5219242B2 (ko) 1972-10-24 1973-10-24

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US300012A US3888212A (en) 1972-10-24 1972-10-24 Liquid metal steam generator

Publications (1)

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US3888212A true US3888212A (en) 1975-06-10

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US300012A Expired - Lifetime US3888212A (en) 1972-10-24 1972-10-24 Liquid metal steam generator

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US3888212A (ko)
JP (1) JPS5219242B2 (ko)
CA (1) CA976151A (ko)

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4249484A (en) * 1978-01-18 1981-02-10 Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Steam generator with an integrated reheater fed with a liquid metal
EP0064920A1 (fr) * 1981-04-30 1982-11-17 Novatome Dispositif de production de vapeur et de prélèvement de chaleur dans un réacteur nucléaire à neutrons rapides
FR2509841A1 (fr) * 1981-07-17 1983-01-21 Creusot Loire Perfectionnement aux generateurs de vapeur du type sodium-eau
US4644906A (en) * 1985-05-09 1987-02-24 Stone & Webster Engineering Corp. Double tube helical coil steam generator
US4737337A (en) * 1985-05-09 1988-04-12 Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation Nuclear reactor having double tube helical coil heat exchanger
US4753773A (en) * 1985-05-09 1988-06-28 Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation Double tube steam generator
US4756770A (en) * 1986-02-11 1988-07-12 Arkansas Power And Light Company Water slap steam generator cleaning method
US5307802A (en) * 1993-09-13 1994-05-03 Placek Edward A High efficiency steam generator
US20060126775A1 (en) * 1999-12-28 2006-06-15 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Reactivity control rod for core, core of nuclear reactor, nuclear reactor and nuclear power plant
US20180135866A1 (en) * 2010-04-28 2018-05-17 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Cooking device

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3076443A (en) * 1958-06-19 1963-02-05 Mitchell Engineering Ltd Heat exchanger
US3395676A (en) * 1966-07-05 1968-08-06 Babcock & Wilcox Co Vapor generator
US3628507A (en) * 1968-12-14 1971-12-21 Progettazioni Meccaniche Nucle Liquid metal heated steam generators and superheaters

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3076443A (en) * 1958-06-19 1963-02-05 Mitchell Engineering Ltd Heat exchanger
US3395676A (en) * 1966-07-05 1968-08-06 Babcock & Wilcox Co Vapor generator
US3628507A (en) * 1968-12-14 1971-12-21 Progettazioni Meccaniche Nucle Liquid metal heated steam generators and superheaters

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4249484A (en) * 1978-01-18 1981-02-10 Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Steam generator with an integrated reheater fed with a liquid metal
EP0064920A1 (fr) * 1981-04-30 1982-11-17 Novatome Dispositif de production de vapeur et de prélèvement de chaleur dans un réacteur nucléaire à neutrons rapides
FR2509841A1 (fr) * 1981-07-17 1983-01-21 Creusot Loire Perfectionnement aux generateurs de vapeur du type sodium-eau
EP0070775A1 (fr) * 1981-07-17 1983-01-26 Novatome Perfectionnement aux générateurs de vapeur du type sodium-eau
US4644906A (en) * 1985-05-09 1987-02-24 Stone & Webster Engineering Corp. Double tube helical coil steam generator
US4737337A (en) * 1985-05-09 1988-04-12 Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation Nuclear reactor having double tube helical coil heat exchanger
US4753773A (en) * 1985-05-09 1988-06-28 Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation Double tube steam generator
US4756770A (en) * 1986-02-11 1988-07-12 Arkansas Power And Light Company Water slap steam generator cleaning method
US5307802A (en) * 1993-09-13 1994-05-03 Placek Edward A High efficiency steam generator
US20060126775A1 (en) * 1999-12-28 2006-06-15 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Reactivity control rod for core, core of nuclear reactor, nuclear reactor and nuclear power plant
US20110116591A1 (en) * 1999-12-28 2011-05-19 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Liquid cooled nuclear reactor with annular steam generator
US8331523B2 (en) 1999-12-28 2012-12-11 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Liquid cooled nuclear reactor with annular steam generator
US20180135866A1 (en) * 2010-04-28 2018-05-17 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Cooking device
US11555616B2 (en) * 2010-04-28 2023-01-17 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Cooking device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS4995001A (ko) 1974-09-10
CA976151A (en) 1975-10-14
JPS5219242B2 (ko) 1977-05-26

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