Nuclear excited power generation system

A nuclear excited power system includes a gaseous core nuclear reactor through the core of which helium is passed. The helium is excited by the high energy radiation from the nuclear reactor and is coupled to a reaction chamber wherein the high energy helium mixes with hydrogen and a halogen, such as, chlorine. The energy thus transferred to the hydrogen and chlorine causes the hydrogen and chlorine to combine to form a hydrogen chloride plasma. The high temperature, high pressure hydrogen chloride plasma drives a turbine, magnetohydrodynamic generator or other electromechanical device to form electrical and/or mechanical energy. The helium and hydrogen chloride exhaust products are separated with the helium coupled back to the reactor core. The hydrogen chloride is disassociated and coupled back to the reaction chamber.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a system for generating electromechanical power 
by converting the energy in a gaseous core nuclear reactor to a high 
pressure, high temperature hydrogen halide plasma. 
This application is related to the following U.S. Patents: 
Scragg et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,354; 
Scragg et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,861; 
Scragg et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,112; 
Scragg et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,715; and 
Scragg et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,205. 
As disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. patents, it is known to convey 
controlled amounts of hydrogen and chlorine to a chamber which is exposed 
to high frequency electromagnetic radiation such as derived from sun or 
from an artificial light source. The chlorine molecules are broken up into 
atomic chlorine with some chlorine being ionized. The atomized and ionized 
chlorine combine with hydrogen atoms to form hydrogen chloride. The 
hydrogen chloride is formed in an exothermic reaction which results in the 
temperature of the hydrogen chloride being substantially higher than that 
of the chlorine or hydrogen molecules conveyed to the reactor chamber. The 
resulting high temperature, high pressure gas is utilized to drive an 
output device such as a turbine. 
Such a system requires a substantial amount of high energy electromagnetic 
radiation. This is not available from the sun unless a concentrator is 
utilized. Further, even with a concentrator, the sunlight is not 
continuously available and the level of the sunlight changes with the 
seasons and with weather. To solve this problem the aforementioned Scragg 
et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,354 is directed to a system wherein high energy 
radiation from a nuclear reaction reactor is conveyed to the 
electromagnetic chamber. The radiation from the nuclear reactor includes 
alpha particles and gamma radiation which provides sufficient radiation to 
generate the desired energy level for the hydrogen and chlorine reaction. 
In a copending patent application of Scragg et al, Ser. No. 646,217 filed 
Aug. 31, 1984, a nuclear power generation system is disclosed wherein 
hydrogen chloride is formed. In that system helium is passed through the 
core of a nuclear reactor and the helium gases are utilized to drive a 
turbine or steam generator. In addition, chlorine is passed in proximity 
to the nuclear reactor core so that it is exposed to the electromagnetic 
and thermal radiation produced by the nuclear reactor. The chlorine is 
excited and when coupled to a reaction chamber combines with hydrogen to 
form HCl. The hot HCl gases are utilized to drive a turbine or similar 
such device. In that system, the helium and chlorine are separate from one 
another and were utilized to drive turbines or other electromechanical 
devices separately from one another. 
SHORT STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION 
It accordingly is an object of the invention to provide an improved method 
and apparatus for supplying high energy radiation to helium or hydrogen in 
a gaseous core nuclear reactor wherein the helium or hydrogen is directly 
coupled to a reactor chamber for energizing chlorine and hydrogen in the 
formation of hydrogen chloride. 
Helium or hydrogen is passed through the core of a gaseous core nuclear 
reactor and is radiated with electromagnetic energy and high energy 
particles to greatly increase the temperature of the helium or hydrogen. 
The helium or hydrogen gases are converted to a plasma and coupled to a 
reaction chamber outside of the reactor core. The high temperature helium 
or hydrogen energizes the chlorine in the reactor chamber to form a high 
temperature, high velocity hydrogen chloride plasma. The energy thus 
produced in forming the hydrogen chloride plasma is extracted by a 
magnetohydrodynamic generator and/or a turbine or other conventional 
energy conversion system to perform useful work in power generation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Refer now to the FIG. which is a schematic illustration in simplified form 
of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Illustrated in 
schematic form is a heterogeneous gas core reactor 11 which includes a 
reactor pressure vessel 13, a gaseous core 17 with its array of moderator 
channels or cells 19, and a surrounding reflector region 21. In the 
preferred embodiment the gaseous core reactor uses graphite 15 as the 
moderator. The number, size and spacing of the moderator channels within 
the core region are determined by the specific gaseous core reactor design 
taking into consideration the desired operating conditions and intended 
application for the reactor. A gaseous fuel, such as, a mixture of uranium 
hexafluoride and helium fills the core cavity. As known in the art, the 
addition of helium to the gaseous fuel, UF.sub.6, enhances its 
thermodynamic, fluid dynamic and heat transfer properties. 
A separate conduit 22 passes through the core and is connected at one end 
to a reactor chamber 23 and at the other end to a helium separator 25. The 
separator removes the helium from the hydrogen chloride formed in the 
reactor chamber 23. The helium is coupled back to the reactor core by the 
conduit 22. The helium is passed through the core 17 wherein the helium is 
subjected to the high frequency electromagnetic radiation of the nuclear 
core. The temperature of the hydrogen and helium is increased sufficiently 
to form a plasma wherein the helium is ionized and forms alpha particles. 
A UF.sub.6 /F.sub.2 separator 20 is provided to separate out the uranium 
hexafluoride and fluorine which enter the conduit 22. The helium and alpha 
particles are then coupled to the reactor chamber 23 which is preferably 
of the type disclosed and illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,070,861; 
4,026,112; 4,024,715 and 3,998,205. In the reactor, the helium plasma is 
mixed with chlorine and hydrogen. The high energy from the helium is 
conveyed to the chlorine and hydrogen wherein the hydrogen and chlorine is 
combined in an exothermic reaction. 
The high pressure, high temperature hydrogen chloride thus formed and the 
helium is exhausted to a device such as turbine 26 and MHD Generator 24 
for converting the hot exhaust gases to mechanical and/or electrical 
energy. The turbine must be designed to withstand the highly corrosive 
hydrogen chloride. The output of the turbine drives a suitable power 
output device, such as, an electrical generator. The hydrogen chloride and 
helium is then coupled to the helium separator 25 wherein the helium is 
separated out and coupled back to the nuclear reactor core. The remaining 
hydrogen chloride is then coupled from the turbine to a disassociation 
cell 27. The disassociation cell 27 may be, for example, a photolysis 
cell, a radiolysis cell or an electrolysis cell. These cells are commonly 
known in the art and will generate molecular hydrogen and chlorine. The 
molecular hydrogen and chlorine are controllably coupled back to the 
reactor chamber as the reactants therein. 
In an alternative embodiment hydrogen or a combination of hydrogen and 
helium is passed through the separate conduit 22. The hydrogen or 
hydrogen-helium mixture absorbs high energy radiation from the gaseous 
core 17. The high energy helium or helium-hydrogen mixture is supplied to 
the reactor chamber wherein a halogen, such as chlorine and the hydrogen 
combine in an exothermic reaction to form a hydrogen chloride plasma. The 
high temperature, high pressure hydrogen chloride plasma is utilized to 
drive an output device such as a turbine and/or MHD generator for the 
purpose of generating electrical or mechanical energy. 
The exhausted hydrogen chloride or hydrogen is supplied to a hydrogen 
separator 25 wherein the hydrogen is separated from the hydrogen chloride 
and supplied back to the conduit 22. In addition, as aforementioned, the 
hydrogen chloride is disassociated and the hydrogen is also supplied back 
to the conduit 22. The chlorine is directly supplied back to the reactor 
chamber 23. If hydrogen is used as a energy transfer gas in the reactor 
core, care must be taken that it does not combine with the fluorine of the 
fuel uranium hexaflouride. 
A controlled amount of HCl is preferably coupled back to the reactor 
chamber 23 in order to modulate or control the amount of energy generated 
therein. As an alternative or in addition oxygen or air can be coupled to 
the reaction chamber 23 by way of a control valve 31. This, again, is to 
control the level of energy generated in the reaction chamber 23. 
Techniques for controlling the amount of HCl and/or air or oxygen to the 
chamber are known to those skilled in the art. 
By the present invention, a system has been provided for directly coupling 
nuclear excited helium or hydrogen to a reactor chamber for forming a high 
temperature or high pressure hydrogen chloride plasma which may be 
utilized in connection with the generation of electrical and/or mechanical 
power. 
While the present invention has been disclosed in connection with the 
preferred embodiments thereof it should be appreciated that other 
embodiments of the invention may be contemplated which fall within the 
spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.