Patent GB-983938-A (GB)
Title: Nuclear reactor control device
Inventor: LEBEY JACQUES
IPC: G21C7/06
Filed: 1963-07-22
Abstract: 983, 938. Controlling nuclear reactors. COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE. July 22, 1963 [July 27, 1962; June 25, 1963], No, 28978/63. Heading G6C. A nuclear reactor control device comprises a vertical channel in the reactor core in which the pressure is the same as that in the fuel channels, a reservoir adapted to receive neutron-absorbing material in divided form disposed above the channel, a system for returning this material to the reservoir after it has dropped into the channel, and a valve between the reservoir and the channel, the valve comprising a closure member articulated to the reservoir and biased by the difference between the pressure in the channel and an adjustable pressure in the reservoir to a position in which it separates the reservoir and channel, the valve of the latter pressure being such that, upon a predetermined drop in pressure in the channel, the valve opens and the material drops into the channel. In one embodiment (Fig. 3), the pressureresistant and biological protection enclosure of a reactor, e.g. in the form of a monolithic concrete construction 106 internally lined with a gas-tight metal skin 108, houses a core 110 of solid moderator through which pass fuel channels and a number of other channels, such as 112, each possessing a reactor shut-down device. A well 114 situated in the top of the enclosure opposite the channel 112 and closed by a plug 116 forms a reservoir 118 for balls of neutron-absorbing material, an orifice in the bottom of the reservoir 118 being closed by a closure member 120 balanced by a counter-weight 124. When the closure member 120 opens by pivoting around a spindle rigidly secured to the reservoir 118, the balls drop from it into the channel 112 through a funnel 122. A storage reservoir 126 which supplies all the shut-down devices is located at a higher level than the reservoir 118 and is connected to it by a top dosing system A comprising a duct 128 through a separator 130, a valve 132, a dosing lock 134, two consecutive separators 136, 138 and a valve 140. The separators are formed by thin blades movable perpendicular to the flow direction of the balls by resilient drive means. The valves 132, 140 are of the spherical plug type (Fig. 4, not shown) and are operated by being rotated through 90 degrees by pneumatic control. The reservoir 126 is connected to a pressure p (e.g. 2 bars) through a valve 144. A duct 146 which opens into the duct 128 between valve 132 and lock 134 has two parallel valves 148 and 150, the former leading to a pressure P<SP>1</SP> (e.g. 23 bars) slightly less than the reactor operating pressure P (e.g. 25 bars) and the latter leading to atmospheric pressure. The reservoir 118 has an actuating tube 152 leading to three parallel valves 154, 156 and 158 connected, respectively, to pressure P<SP>1</SP> open only during normal reactor operation, pressure P<SP>11</SP> (e.g. 20 bars) less than P<SP>1</SP> open only for filling the reservoir 118, and pressure P<SP>111</SP> (e.g. 27 bars) higher than pressure P open only for producing a deliberate drop of balls into the channel 112. The pressure within the channel 112 is equal to the pressure P within the reactor enclosure. A bottom system A<SP>1</SP> similar to the above system A connects the bottom of channel 112 to a storing container 126<SP>1</SP>, a pneumatic or mechanical mechanism (not shown) being provided to raise the balls from container 126<SP>1</SP> to reservoir 126. During normal operation, closure member 120 is kept closed by the difference between the pressures P and P<SP>1</SP> which exceeds the pressure due to the weight of the balls, e.g. the difference being 2 bars and the ball weight corresponding to a pressure of 1 bar, in which case the pressure P must drop by at least one bar for the closure member 120 to open and the balls to drop into the channel 112. The balls can be made to drop deliberately by closing valve 154 and opening valve 158. Once the balls have dropped, the closure member 120 is closed automatically by its counterweight 124. The reservoir 118 is filled by balls being brought in an adjustable quantity first from the storage reservoir 126 into the lock 134 by opening the separator 130 and the valve 132, the pressure in the lock 134 being the same as that in the reservoir 126, viz.p. The passage of the balls into the lock 134 as far as the separator 136 may be accelerated by abrief opening of the valve 150 connected to atmospheric pressure. Once the lock 134 has been filled, the separator 130 is closed and the separator 136 is opened, the balls dropping to the separator 138 and moving clear of the valve 132 which can then be closed. The lock 134 is now brought to the pressure P<SP>1</SP> by the valve 148 and the valve 140 opened, the balls being drawn towards the reservoir 118 which is maintained at a pressure P<SP>11</SP> by the valve 156. The sequence just described causes a known quantity of balls to be introduced by suction into the reservoir 118 and is repeated until this contains the required quantity of balls. In order to empty the channel 112, the bottom dosing system A<SP>1</SP> which operates in a similar manner to the top dosing system A is used. The well 114 is tightly sealed against the reservoir 118 and the plug 116 by means of gaskets (Fig. 5, not shown), that between the well 114 and the plug 116 being compressed by the weight of the plug and as a result of the pressure difference between the well 114 and the atmosphere. Slow variations in reactivity are compensated by means of circuits such as that shown in chain-dotted lines in Fig. 3 associated with a channel 112a, the ball supply duct extending directly to the top end of the channel where there is a strainer 188 to prevent the balls from spilling out of the channel. The entire top dosing system and all the operations required to introduce a known quantity of balls into the reactor are identical to those applicable to the filling of the reservoir 118 except that, since the ball-driving pressure must be greater than the pressure P in the corresponding channel 112a, the valve 148 must allow fluid to enter at the adequate pressure P<SP>111</SP>. The bottom dosing system and the operations for removing the balls are exactly the same for both the shut-down and compensating devices.