Fuel channel elements for circulating fuel neutronic reactors

Claim 2

A FUEL CHANNEL ELEMENT FOR A CIRCULATING FLUID FUEL NUCLEAR REACTOR INCLUDING A MODERATOR CORE REGION PROVIDED WITH A FUEL CHANNEL HAVING ENTRANCE AND EXIT EXTREMITY REGIONS FOR CONDUCTING A FLUID FUEL THROUGH THE CORE OF SAID REACTOR, AN ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL TUBULAR MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED IN SAID CHANNEL TO EXTEND BETWEEN SAID ENTRANCE AND EXIT EXTREMITY REGIONS, AN ELEMENT DISPOSED IN THE ENTRANCE EXTREMITY REGION OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF VANES PROJECTING WITHIN SAID CHANNEL FOR IMPARTING A TANGENTIAL COMPONENT OF VELOCITY TO SAID FUEL AS DISCHARGED THEREFROM AND THEREBY CAUSE THE PROFILE OF THE AXIAL COMPONENT OF THE FLUID VELOCITY TO APPROXIMATE THE VOLUMETRIC HEAT PRODUCTION PROFILE IN SAID CHANNEL, AND A DISCHARGE ELEMENT DISPOSED IN THE EXIT EXTREMITY OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER SIMILAR TO THE ENTRANCE ELEMENT, HOWEVER, WITH AN OPPOSITELY DIRECTED ORIENTATION.

Claim 3

IN COMBINATION IN A REFLECTOR-MODERATED, CIRCULATING FUEL NUCLEAR REACTOR INCLUDING A CORE WITH A MODERATOR REGION AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE FLUID FUEL CHANNEL PASSAGEWAY WITH ENTRANCE AND EXIT EXTREMITIES AND TRAVERSING THE MODERATOR REGION IN THE CORE OF SAID REACTOR, AN ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL TUBULAR MEMBER DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ENTRANCE AND EXIT EXTREMITIES WITHIN SAID PASSAGEWAY IN THE CORE OF SAID REACTOR, AN ELEMENT AT THE ENTRANCE TO SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, SAID ELEMENT BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF VANES PROJECTING WITHIN SAID CHANNEL AND FORMED TO IMPART A HIGHER TANGENTIAL COMPONENT OF VELOCITY TO THE FLUID FUEL DISCHARGED THEREFROM IN CENTRAL CHANNEL REGIONS AS COMPARED TO PERIPHERAL REGIONS WHEREFORE THE AXIAL VELOCITY PROFILE ACROSS SAID CHANNEL IS MADE TO MORE NEARLY MATCH THE VOLUMETRIC HEAT PRODUCTION PROFILE THEREIN, AN EXIT ELEMENT DISPOSED AT THE DISCHARGE EXTREMITY OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER PROVIDING A PRESSURE DROP IN THE FLUID FUEL FLOWING THERETHROUGH PROPORTIONAL TO THE SQUARE OF THE AXIIAL VELOCITY OF SAID FUEL AT EACH RADICAL POSITION THEREIN, PUMP MEANS ARRANGED IN PROXIMITY AND COUPLED TO SAID ENTRANCE ELEMENT, AND A HEAT EXCHANGER ARRANGED IN PROXIMITY TO SAID REACTOR CORE AND COUPLING SAID EXIT ELEMENT TO THE INTAKE TO SAID PUMP.

Claim 4

IN COMBINATION IN A REFLECTOR-MODERATED, CIRCULATING FUEL NUCLEAR REACTOR INCLUDING A CORE WITH A MODERATOR REGION AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE FLUID FUEL CHANNEL PASSAGEWAY WITH ENTRANCE AND EXIT EXTREMITIES AND TRAVERSING THE MODERATOR REGION IN THE CORE OF SAID REACTOR, AN ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL TUBULAR MEMBER DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ENTRANCE AND EXIT EXTREMITIES WITHIN SAID PASSAGEWAY IN THE CORE OF SAID REACTOR, AN ELEMENT AT THE ENTRANCE TO SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, SAID ELEMENT BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF VANES PROJECTING WITHIN SAID CHANNEL AND FORMED TO IMPART A HIGHER TANGENTIAL COMPONENT OF VELOCITY TO THE FLUID FUEL DISCHARGED THEREFROM IN CENTRAL CHANNEL REGIONS AS COMPARED TO PERIPHERAL REGIONS WHEREFORE THE AXIAL VELOCITY PROFILE ACROSS SAID CHANNEL IS MADE TO MORE NEARLY MATCH THE VOLUMETRIC HEAT PRODUCTION PROFILE THEREIN, AN EXIT ELEMENT DISPOSED AT THE DISCHARGE EXTREMITY OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER PROVIDING A PRESSURE DROP IN THE FLUID FUEL FLOWING THERETHROUGH PROPORTIONAL TO THE SQUARE OF THE AXIIAL VELOCITY OF SAID FUEL AT EACH RADICAL POSITION THEREIN, PUMP MEANS ARRANGED IN PROXIMITY AND COUPLED TO SAID ENTRANCE ELEMENT, AND A HEAT EXCHANGER ARRANGED IN PROXIMITY TO SAID REACTOR CORE AND COUPLING SAID EXIT ELEMENT TO THE INTAKE TO SAID PUMP.