US3568781A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of operating liquid metal cooled nuclear reactor
Assignee: JOHN W E CAMPBELL
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Filing: 1967-09-28
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Granted: 1971-03-09
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Expires: 1987-09-28
Abstract
Abstract This invention relates to a nuclear reactor which utilizes liquid metal as a coolant medium in the primary coolant circuit to transfer heat from the core region of the reactor to a tubulous vapor generating unit. A recirculation branch is connected around a portion of the primary coolant circuit which contains the vapor generating tubes and means are provided to recirculate the primary coolant through the recirculation branch at a rate sufficient to ensure that the heat flux at the vapor generating tubes is less than the heat flux at which a departure from nucleate boiling occurs within the tubes.
Inventors
- 👤 John W E Campbell
- 👤 Martin C Peters
- 👤 Alfred J Perrin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 16:04
CPC Classifications
G; G21; G21C; G21C1/00; G21C1/02; G21C15/00; G21C15/02; G21D; G21D5/00; G21D5/04; G21D5/08; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E30/00; Y02E30/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
45 words
The method of operating a nuclear reactor as claimed in claim 1, including measuring variations in the temperature of the liquid metal primary coolant in the recirculation branch from a predetermined temperature, and varying the rate of recirculatory flow in response to the temperature measurements.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of operating a nuclear reactor as claimed in claim 1, including restricting the rate of flow of liquid metal primary coolant in the recirculation branch.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
125 words
A nuclear reactor including a liquid metal primary coolant circuit arranged to transfer heat from a core region of the nuclear reactor to a tubulous vapor generating unit and having a recirculation branch connected around a portion of the circuit containing vapor generating tubes and means arranged to recirculate the primary coolant through the branch at a rate sufficient to ensure that the heat flux at the vapor generating tubes is less than that at which a departure from nucleate boiling occurs within the tubes, and wherein a mixing chamber at the junction of the primary coolant circuit and the outlet of the recirculation branch is adapted to effect intimate mixing of coolant from the recirculation branch and coolant flowing in the primary coolant circuit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
65 words
A nuclear reactor as claimed in claim 4, wherein the mixing chamber is of spherical form and the inlet from the recirculation branch is disposed with the axis thereof on a radius of the chamber perpendicular to a diameter of the chamber coincident with the axes of the inlet from and the outlet to the primary coolant circuit disposed on opposite sides of the chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A nuclear reactor as claimed in claim 5, wherein the mixing chamber is of a diameter approximately 3 times the diameter of the primary coolant outlet from the chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
142 words
A nuclear reactor including a liquid metal primary coolant circuit arranged to transfer heat from a core region of the nuclear reactor to a tubulous vapor generating unit and having a recirculation branch connected around a portion of the circuit containing vapor generating tubes and means arranged to recirculate the primary coolant through the branch at a rate sufficient to ensuRe that the heat flux at the vapor generating tubes is less than that at which a departure from nucleate boiling occurs within the tubes, and wherein means are provided to vary the rate of flow in the recirculation branch in accordance with variations in temperature at the inlet to the recirculation branch of the primary coolant from a predetermined temperature to tend to maintain constant or substantially constant the temperature of the primary coolant at the inlet to the recirculation branch.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
88 words
A nuclear reactor as claimed in claim 7, wherein the means arranged to vary the rate of recirculatory flow are also responsive to the occurrences of variations from predetermined values respectively of the temperature of the primary coolant upon exit from the nuclear reactor, the rate of flow of the primary coolant and the outlet pressure of the vapor to vary the rate of flow in the recirculation branch in anticipation of a variation in the temperature of the primary coolant at the inlet to the recirculation branch.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A nuclear reactor as claimed in claim 7, wherein a variable speed pump is provided in the recirculation branch to vary the rate of flow therein.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-03-08 | 1974-09-07 | 1975-03-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-03-08 | 1978-09-07 | 1979-03-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-03-08 | 1982-09-07 | 1983-03-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |