Abstract:
A shielding facility serves to prevent x-rays or gamma -rays which are generated by, for example, irradiation of electron beam from leaking out of an opening through a shield passage. The shielding facility includes a shielding wall (2) defining therein a shield passage (3) having an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The shielding wall (2) is adapted to accommodate a source (1) which generates x-rays or gamma -rays. The shielding facility further includes a plurality of partition walls (7-1, 7-2 and 7-3) disposed in the shield passage (3). The partition walls (7-1, 7-2 and 7-3) are bent at least one time between the inlet opening and the outlet opening of the shield passage (3).
Abstract:
In order to reduce the flow resistance of a coolant flowing through a passage (63) in the support plate (64) of a boiling water reactor and entering the transition piece (50) at the lower end of a fuel assembly resting on said support plate (64), the lower rim (60) of the transition piece (50) forms a conically tapered surface which fits into a corresponding conical counter-surface (62) at the upper edge of said passage (63). The lower rim (60) of the transition piece (50) forms a circular inlet which is concentric with the passage (63) and has a size equal or slightly larger than the passage opening. Fingers (70) protruding laterally into said opening and extending down into said passage (63) are used to center the low rim (60) within the passage (63). Additionally, the end caps (90) of the fuel rods may be stream-lined and the lower tie plate (53) of the fuel assembly may be spaced apart from the inner surface of a fuel channel (52) by a plurality of ribs (86) which form a plurality of peripheral through holes (86') on each of the four inner surfaces (84) of the rectangular fuel channel (52).
Abstract:
A fuel assembly upper cap (6) comprising a transverse adapter plate (6a) with apertures (8) for attaching guide tubes (4) and apertures (9) enabling water to flow therethrough. The water flow apertures (9a) located in the central portion of the adapter plate (6a) of the upper cap (6) are triangular with rounded corners and uniformly distributed around some or all of the apertures (8) for attaching the guide tubes (4).
Abstract:
In order to stabilize a transient instability in a boiling-water reactor, the invention calls for the oscillating neutron flux to be measured and, when it exceeds a first limit over several periods of oscillation, for the rate of increase of the oscillation to be determined. When a further limit (in particular one depending on the rate of increase) of the oscillating flux is exceeded, one of a number of stabilization strategies is selected, as a function of the rate of increase, in order to produce premature stabilization of the oscillation. A hierarchy of stabilization options is available: blocking a power increase in the control system, slow controlled lowering of the power, or rapid power reduction by a partial SCRAM. The unstable condition is monitored by a system of sensors distributed over the reactor core, each of which redundantly measures the flux in a part of the core. The sensors act on several redundantly operating systems, the signal from each sensor being effective in only one of these systems.
Abstract:
A nuclear fuel rod spacer grid (500) is formed of slottedly unterlocked sets of flat strips (501, 502). One set of strips (502) is formed with integral coplanar tab portions (18') which have one or more edge portions bent at angles to form integral mixing vanes (22').
Abstract:
For use in the manufacture of gas tags such as employed in a nuclear reactor gas tagging failure detection system, a method for designing gas tagging compositions utilizes an analytical approach wherein the final composition of a first canister of tag gas as measured by a mass spectrometer is designated as node #1. Lattice locations of tag nodes in multi-dimensional space are then used in calculating the compositions of a node #2 and each subsequent node so as to maximize the distance of each node from any combination of tag components which might be indistinguishable from another tag composition in a reactor fuel assembly. Alternatively, the measured compositions of tag gas numbers 1 and 2 may be used to fix the locations of nodes 1 and 2, with the locations of nodes 3-N then calculated for optimum tag gas composition. A single sphere defining the lattice locations of the tag nodes may be used to define approximately 20 tag nodes, while concentric spheres can extend the number of tag nodes to several hundred.
Abstract:
A boiling water nuclear reactor used for the production of electicity includes fuel rods (328A) and an assembly of these fuel rods that improve the reactor economics and safety. The fuel assemblies include hydride fuel pellets (636) at selected axial and radial positions in addition to oxide fuel pellets. The hydride fuel functions simultaneously as a fuel and as a moderator. The hydride fuel can be made from different combinations of fissionable materials such as uranium, and hydrides such as zirconium hydride. The fuel (such as U-ZrH1.6) is substituted for oxide fuel (UO2) in undermoderated regions of the core. Hydride fuel rods also replace water rods in the fuel assemblies. The use of hydrogen containing fuel rods and fuel assemblies enable flattening the power distribution across the fuel assembly and across the core; reducing the need for power shaping and reactivity control with burnable poisons and control rods; improving the nuclear fuel utilization; increasing the reactor availability; increasing the safety factors for fuel meltdown accidents or, alternatively, increasing the power output from a given size core; reducing the cold shutdown reactivity margin; and reducing the leakage of neutrons from the core.
Abstract:
A method of cycling a nuclear fuel for a fast breeder and a minor actinoids annihilation reactor, which provides a nuclear fuel cycle having technical advantages, such as a safety inherent in a nuclear reactor, a short fuel doubling time and a high uranium resources utilization factor, and economical advantages, comprising the steps of: preparing sphere pack type fuel pins including a nuclear fuel containing uranium-plutonium-mixed nitride fuel and a minor actinoids nitride fuel, and a sodium heat bonding material, installing the fuel pins in a reactor core and burning the same, subjecting the used fuel to fused salt electrolysis, converting the uranium, plutonium and minor actinoids deposited on a cathode into a high-order nitride, recovering the high-order nitride, converting the recovered high-order nitride into mononitride, and manufacturing a nuclear fuel, which contains a uranium-plutonium-mixed nitride fuel and a minor actinoids nitride fuel, from the mononitride.
Abstract:
A jet condenser (30) injects steam from a steam generator (10) into a mixing tube (50), where it combines with coolant water from a heat exchanger (32). The steam completely condenses upon mixing with the water because the ratio of the mass flow rate of water to that of steam is relatively high at any given combination of temperatures and pressures. The mixture of coolant water and condensate then enters a divergent tube (52). This action enhances dynamic natural convection in the condenser loop (39), which provides the forces that move the water through the loop (39). A small portion of the water is returned to the steam generator (10); the remainder is diverted to the heat exchanger (32). The mass flow of the steam in the jet condenser (30) is equal to that of the condensate returned to the steam generator (10), thereby maintaining a constant coolant water inventory. During an accident, radioactive fission products would be retained within the closed jet condenser loop (39).
Abstract:
The invention relates to a control rod for a boiling water reactor. The control rod comprises a top piece and a bottom piece between which an absorber part is arranged. The absorber part comprises a central part (4) and four absorber blades (3) extending from the central part (4). The absorber part comprises a channel (10) which comprises the central part and which extends along the length of the whole absorber part. The channel is surrounded by walls of a neutron-absorbing material with a long service life, for example hafnium. The channel is at least partially filled with a moderator, for example light water. During the manufacture the absorber part has undergone a heat treatment such that the hafnium alloy has been completely or partially transformed from alpha -phase to beta -phase and thereafter been rapidly cooled to alpha -phase.