Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
  • G21C—NUCLEAR REACTORS
  • G21C19/00—Arrangements for treating, for handling, or for facilitating the handling of, fuel or other materials which are used within the reactor, e.g. within its pressure vessel
  • G21C19/40—Arrangements for preventing occurrence of critical conditions, e.g. during storage
• • 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 an improvement made to the storage devices for nuclear fuel elements in a swimming pool.
• the fuel elements not used in the reactors are stored in devices constituted by metallic cells regularly distributed in storage tanks. At present, the spacings between the cells are quite large because the water si ⁇ killed between the cells only plays the role of moderator neutron-absorbing.
• the most commonly used solution currently consists in re ⁇ covering the walls of the cells with a neutropha ⁇ ge product.
• the most used products are boron and its derivatives (boral, graphite boron, boron carbide, ...) some of which are used by spraying fine particles directly on the outer walls of the cell, the imposed adhesion which may require plasma spraying with the use of chromium and nickel as a binder.
• Another known solution consists in eliminating the sheet of water between the cells and in placing the neutron-absorbing product in a sealed housing formed by peripheral welding of the contiguous walls of the adjacent cells.
• the first solution is costly to implement.
• the second solution without a water blade between the cells excludes the use of certain very technologically and economically interesting neutron-absorbing materials.
• the object of the present invention is precisely to eliminate these drawbacks by means of a device for storing combustible elements which is easier to produce as regards the neutron protection material.
• the device object of the invention it, of the kind of those in which said elements are placed in cells limited by metal walls, each cell being separated from the adjacent cells by a sheet of water and said walls being covered on their outer surface with a layer of neutralizing material, is characterized in that this layer is constituted by a thin sheet of cadmium which continuously covers the outer surface of said metal walls along the periphery of the cell and in that this thin sheet is held and protected by a thin sheet, said thin sheet and said thin sheet extending over at least part of the cell.
• the thickness of the cadmium layer is between 0.1 and 1 mm approximately and preferably between 0.1 and 0.5 mm.
• the thin sheet it is preferably made of stainless steel and its thickness is between 0.5 and 1 mm approximately.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the assembly of a device for storing combustible elements in a swimming pool
• - Figure 2 is an enlarged view, in perspective and partially in section, of the upper part of a cell of the device of Figure 1.
• a storage device 1 which consists of a large number of cells 2 arranged vertically and inside which are introduced combustible assemblies 4
• the number of cells in a device such as 1 is of the order of 100 to 200 and there are generally several devices of this type in a swimming pool, each resting on the bottom of the swimming pool by means of a support system (not shown).
• Figure 2 shows in more detail the upper part of a cell such as 2.
• the cells are of square section and are limited by sheets such as 6, generally made of stainless steel.
• the upper part 8 of each sheet 6 makes an angle with the rest of the sheet so that the section of the cell is larger at the upper part of the storage device: this is intended to facilitate the introduction of the assemblies into the alveoli.
• the cells are joined at their upper part by longitudinal members 10 welded to the parts 8 of the sheets 6.
• the thickness of the water layer between two neighboring cells is reduced to a value of the order of 50 mm and it is necessary to coat the walls 6, on their outer surface, with a continuous layer of neutron absorbing product 12 which, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, consists of a thin sheet of cadmium.
• the latter is held by a thin sheet 14, generally made of stainless steel, which also provides protection against corrosion.
• cadmium has, in certain particular configurations, and in particular in the case where the cells are separated by a sheet of water with a thickness between 40 and 60 mm and preferably between 45 and 55 mm, excellent neutron-absorbing properties, even if the thickness of the layer is small, that is to say less than 1 mm.
• a layer of cadmium 0.5 mm thick makes it possible to obtain, with a water layer of 48 mm thick, a multiplication factor Keff less than or equal to 0.95 for fuel assemblies having an enrichment less than or equal to 4.5%.
• the device which is the subject of the invention has particularly advantageous advantages since the cadmium in sheet form is easier to place continuously around the cells than the compact materials of the prior art. We thus manage to reduce the cost of the entire storage device while maintaining the same performance from the point of view of neutron protection.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
• Fuel Cell (AREA)
• Monitoring And Testing Of Nuclear Reactors (AREA)
• Solid-Sorbent Or Filter-Aiding Compositions (AREA)
• Hybrid Cells (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=9292214

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (1)

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Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1983
  • 1983-09-14 FR FR8314621A patent/FR2551907A1/fr active Pending
• 1984
  • 1984-09-14 JP JP59503423A patent/JPS61500079A/ja active Pending
  • 1984-09-14 EP EP84401828A patent/EP0138666B1/fr not_active Expired
  • 1984-09-14 WO PCT/FR1984/000201 patent/WO1985001386A1/fr unknown
  • 1984-09-14 DE DE8484401828T patent/DE3469239D1/de not_active Expired

Patent Citations (3)

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