Patent GB-985463-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to nuclear reactors
Inventor: LAITHWAITE JOHN MICHAEL
IPC: G21C1/03
Filed: 1962-10-17
Abstract: 985,463. Reactors. UNITED KINGDOM ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY. Oct. 17, 1963 [Oct. 17, 1962], No. 39278/62. Heading G6C. A liquid cooled nuclear reactor has a coolant circuit which includes a reservoir of coolant, said reactor comprising a core within a core tank, a plurality of tanks each containing a heat exchanger, thermal insulating means being provided in the core tank to separate the tank walls from hot coolant leaving the core, and an outer and inner pair of co-axial ducts connecting each heat exchanger tank with the core tank, the outer duct connecting the space between the core tank insulation and walls to the interior of each heat exchanger tank to form said coolant reservoir, and the inner duct penetrating said core tank insulation to carry hot coolant from the core to the heat exchangers. The basic object of the invention is to provide a liquid metal cooled fast fission reactor of size suitable for commercial power generation and which embodies the inherent advantages of a submerged core, but without the necessity of building a vast containment tank and leak jacket. The reactor is cooled by liquid sodium, or a liquid sodium-potassium alloy, and is housed in a core tank 10. The core comprises close packed fuel assemblies surrounded by a jacket of breeder element assemblies, all standing on a bottom grid plate 13. Coolant fills the core tank to a level 16, sufficiently above the top core face to allow fuel elements withdrawn from the core to remain immersed. The coolant-free volume within the core is filled with a gas (nitrogen or argon) which is connected to a gas reservoir 54; thus changes in surface level of the coolant in the core due to thermal expansion of the coolant have no significant effect on the coolant pressure. An annular heat shield 37 is placed so as to leave a narrow annular gap 38 between it and the core tank. Coolant enters this space from the outer ducts 39. Also within the gap 38 is a manifold connected to inner ducts 42 which receive coolant from coolant pumps; a number of tubes pass downwards through the gap 38 to carry coolant to the lower plenum chamber 34. The coolant surface 16 is above the coolant surface in the reservoir (which includes the outer duct 39 and the space 38), and thus provides a static head which holds the fuel elements down against the coolant upflow through the core, and causes hot coolant to flow from above the core to the outlet ducts 40. The core is surrounded by a neutron shield formed by graphite blocks 43; this shield includes an ion chamber 44, and a pocket 45 for housing a coolant flowmeter. The neutron shield is surrounded by a concrete biological shield 46. Heat exchangers and coolant pumps There are four heat exchanger tanks 17 and four coolant pump tanks 18 arranged alternately round the core tank on a common pitch circle. These tanks are connected to the core tank through the two coaxial ducts, and constitute the reservoir of the invention, the secondary coolant being confined to the tubes of the heat exchangers. The secondary coolant is usually of the same composition as the core coolant, and leaves the heat exchangers 21 through pipes 23 to join concentric ducts 25 which carry the secondary coolant to and from further heat exchangers in which prime mover steam is raised. Centrifugal pumps 29 driven by motors 27 have their inlets open to the tanks 18 and deliver coolant to the core via pipe 42 and non return valve 30. Coolant circulation From the inlet plenum chamber, coolant flows through the core and out through the inner ducts 40 to the shell of the primary heat exchangers, after which it enters the heat exchanger tanks, where it joins the coolant reservoir formed in common by all the tanks. From the heat exchanger tanks, the coolant flows through the outer ducts 39 and gap 38 to the pump tanks, from which the pumps deliver it to the inlet plenum chamber. In a modification of the coolant equipment in the reactor described, the coolant pumps are positioned in the heat exchanger tanks, and there are thus four tanks surrounding the central core tank. Tank support (Fig. 2b) The support for the core, heat exchanger and pump tanks is based on a number of columns 56. These columns each have a pair of cantilevers 57 extending radially inwards through the neutron shield towards the core tank, and a pair of parallel cantilevers 58 extending outwardly one on each side of each of the heat exchanger and pump tanks. A pad on each cantilever 57 supports a rocker 62, which rockers support the core tank. The outer tanks are similarly supported, except that a ring 60 is included, mounted on rollers, so as to allow for expansion of the tank itself (as with the core tank,) and also to allow the outer tanks to move with respect to the core tank. As seen, the co-axial ducting 20 between the centre and outer tanks is provided with expansion bellows. Ancillary equipment and services, (Fig. 1), are contained in a spherical pressure-tight container 46a. A refuelling machine 47 is mounted on the top face of the biological shield on a track 48. A vertical discharge shoot 49 is provided through which fuel elements are transported between the refuelling machine and a fuel handling room 50. A gantry crane 51 is also provided. Inert gas (nitrogen) ventilation and cooling is provided within the container 46a by ducting 52 and circulating plant 53. A cold trap 55 is provided for purifying a fraction of the coolant passed to it from the pumps 26. Specification 985, 464 is referred to.