Patent GB-1036935-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to nuclear reactors
IPC: G21C11/06
Filed: 1963-08-06
Abstract: 1,036,935. Reactors. OSTERREICHISCHE STUDIENGESELLSCHAFT FR ATOMENERGIE G.m.b.H. Aug. 6, 1963 [Aug. 4, 1962], No. 30928/63. Heading G6C. A nuclear reactor of the kind having a fission zone occupied by a mass of active particles and enclosed by walls constituting a fission zone vessel up through which a cooling gas is passed has movable means forming part of or extending through the fission zone walls which are urged inwardly of the fission zone to exert a holding down force or pressure on the particles to prevent them being lifted by the cooling gas. In one arrangement (Fig. 1, not shown) a reactor vessel 1 loaded with ball-shaped particles has a fixed bottom wall 2 with small apertures through which the cooling gas but not the balls of the reactor filling 3 can pass. In the centre of the bottom wall 2 is a discharge tube 4 fitted with a discharge mechanism 5. The " pebble bed " or ball heap 3 is loaded by a movable cover 6, preferably formed as a cone with an included angle larger than that of the natural cone of repose of the ball filling used. The weight of the cover 6 is sufficient to prevent the balls being lifted under all conceivable working conditions. The cover 6 may be designed to act also as a neutron reflector and its weight may be partly compensated by counterweights 7. Small apertures in the cover 6 allow the cooling gas but not the balls to pass out while a feed pipe 8 provides for the admission of new balls from a feed mechanism 9. Alternatively, the loading of the " pebble bed " or ball heap 3 may be effected by a displacing means 7 introduced through an aperture in the cover 6 which is in this case fixed in position (Fig. 2, not shown) or by having the cover 6 fixed and the bottom wall 2 movable (Fig. 3, not shown). In a further arrangement (Fig. 4, not shown) both the top and bottom walls of the reactor vessel are fixed in position and above the mass of balls in the fission zone 11 is a column of particles in the feed pipe 8 providing the necessary retaining force. Discharge is effected by a siphon 13 with a shut-off valve 14 at its inlet end, a sleeve 16 surrounding the outlet end being movable vertically so as to control the overflow. The balls which overflow are received in a storage vessel 17 from which they are conveyed pneumatically through a testing plant and directed either to waste 18 or together with newly added balls 19 by way of a return pipe 10 back to the feed pipe 8. An alternative method of discharging the balls is to have the discharge tube from the reactor terminating at a distance from a storage vessel determined by the natural cone of repose of the balls so that when the vessel is lowered, the balls begin to run out of the discharge tube and are received in grooves in a plate surrounding the vessel. A further possibility is for the balls to be removed by suction from the vessel. In a further method, the discharge tube is provided with a trumpetshaped mouth into which a counterpart member is inserted. Movement of the member controls the discharge of the balls and these may be removed by means of grooves or by suction. One of the more important advantages of this type of reactor is the possibility of varying the volume of the core within certain limits to compensate for changes of reactivity which may occur. This avoids the need for absorption control rods and makes it unnecessary to provide excess reactivity to compensate for fuel burn-up.