A mobile land-based heat pipe pile monolithic heat exchanger

Abstract

The application discloses a movable land-based heat pipe stack integrated heat exchanger, which is mainly applied to the field of movable land-based nuclear power and plays a role of transferring heat from a heat pipe stack to a gas working substance or a cooling medium. The heat pipe stack integrated heat exchanger comprises a heater and a waste heat exchanger, and both are located in the same shell. The heater is composed of a heater air inlet, a heater air inlet chamber, a sleeve type heating channel, a heater air outlet chamber and a heater air outlet. The waste heat exchanger is composed of a cooling medium inlet, a waste heat exchanger and a cooling medium outlet. When the heat pipe stack system is running, the gas working substance enters the heater to cool the heat pipe and take away the heat. When the heat pipe stack system is stopped, the cooling medium enters the waste heat exchanger to cool the sleeve and take away the waste heat. The heat pipe stack integrated heat exchanger can complete the heat pipe stack heat export work under the condition that the size and the type of the cooling medium are limited.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mobile land-based heat pipe stack power cycle equipment, and more particularly to a mobile land-based heat pipe stack integrated heat exchanger. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of fourth-generation nuclear reactor technology, land-based mobile microreactor technology has attracted significant attention from various countries. Land-based mobile microreactors have power ratings ranging from 1 to 20 MW, high power density, good reliability, and a lifespan of several years. They can be rapidly moved and deployed via vehicle, airborne, or shipborne methods, providing energy in high-altitude, polar, and ocean-going environments. They have potential applications in military power, oceanographic research, and disaster relief. The heat pipe reactor core adopts an all-solid-state design, featuring high efficiency, compactness, and flexibility, making it one of the most promising land-based mobile reactor candidates at present. Heat pipes and fuel rods are alternately inserted into mounting holes in the core matrix. Heat transfer between the fuel rods and heat pipes occurs through the matrix, and heat is passively removed from the core using capillary action within the heat pipes. This eliminates components such as the primary loop pump in traditional reactors, greatly simplifying the core structure. Employing the Brayton cycle as the thermoelectric conversion system of a heat pipe stack can achieve high heat pipe conversion efficiency. Suitable working fluids include supercritical carbon dioxide, helium, helium-xenon mixtures, and nitrogen. The heat pipe stack requires a specially designed heat exchanger to transfer heat from the heat pipe to the gaseous working fluid; this is the heat pipe stack's heater. Furthermore, in the event of a shutdown of the thermoelectric conversion system and cessation of gaseous fluid flow, excess heat from the heat pipe stack must be safely removed using a cooling medium in a heat exchanger outside the heater; this is the heat pipe stack's waste heat exchanger. In land-based mobile scenarios, the size of the heat pipe stack's heat exchanger is limited by transportation conditions, necessitating maximum equipment compactness while ensuring heat exchange efficiency. Additionally, the type of cooling medium for the waste heat exchanger is constrained by environmental factors; in extremely cold or arid conditions, air should be used as the cooling medium. These two constraints represent the technical challenges that must be addressed in the design of land-based mobile heat pipe stack heat exchangers. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a mobile land-based heat pipe stack integral heat exchanger to solve the heat removal problem of existing mobile land-based heat pipe stacks under the conditions of limited heat exchanger size and limited cooling medium types.

[0004] A mobile, land-based heat pipe stack integral heat exchanger is disclosed. The integral heat exchanger consists of a heater and a waste heat exchanger, both located within the same casing and separated by a baffle and a sleeve. The heater comprises a heater inlet chamber connected to the heat pipe stack core via a shield, a heater inlet communicating with the heater inlet chamber, a heater exhaust chamber, a heater exhaust port communicating with the heater exhaust chamber, and a sleeve-type heating channel formed between the sleeve and the heat pipes of the heat pipe stack core. The waste heat exchanger comprises a waste heat exchanger body and a cooling medium inlet and outlet communicating with the waste heat exchanger body. The sleeve is fixed between the heater inlet chamber and the heater exhaust chamber by a baffle, and the sleeve is flush with the ends of the heat pipes, forming a sleeve-type heating channel. Heat transfer is enhanced by filling the sleeve-type heating channel with foamed metal or by adding fins.

[0005] When the heat pipe stack system is operating normally, the cooling medium inlet and outlet are closed, the waste heat exchanger is not working, and the heat from the heat pipes is transferred to the gaseous working medium through the heater. The gaseous working medium enters the heater inlet chamber through the heater inlet, and then enters the shell-and-tube heating channel to wash over the heat pipe surface and the fins or foam metal, where it is heated. The heated gaseous working medium collects in the heater exhaust chamber and leaves the heater through the heater exhaust port. When the heat pipe stack system is shut down, the heater stops working, the gaseous medium stops flowing, and the waste heat is transferred from the heat pipe surface through the fins or foam metal to the shell. At this time, the cooling medium inlet and outlet open, and the cooling medium enters the waste heat exchanger body through the inlet, washing over the shell surface and carrying away the waste heat. Finally, the cooling medium carrying the waste heat leaves the waste heat exchanger through the outlet. When air is used as the cooling medium, the air expands when heated in the waste heat exchanger, creating a pressure difference between the lower cooling medium inlet and the upper cooling medium outlet. Driven by this pressure difference, the air forms a natural circulation, passively flowing from bottom to top and carrying away the waste heat.

[0006] This invention designs an integral heat exchanger for a mobile land-based heat pipe stack, creatively integrating the heater and waste heat exchanger into the same shell. This reduces the heat exchanger volume while ensuring heat exchange efficiency, solving the heat removal problem of mobile land-based heat pipe stacks under conditions of limited heat exchanger size and limited cooling medium types, and improving the compactness of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a movable land-based heat pipe stack integral heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0008] In the diagram: 1. Core substrate; 2. Heat pipe; 3. Fuel rod; 4. Shielding; 5. Heater inlet; 6. Heater inlet chamber; 7. Shell-and-tube heating channel; 8. Heater exhaust chamber; 9. Heater exhaust port; 10. Cooling medium inlet; 11. Waste heat exchanger body; 12. Cooling medium outlet; 13. Shell; 14. Baffle; 15. Shell. Detailed Implementation

[0009] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the solutions in the prior art, a clear and complete description will be provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described in the following drawings are some, but not all, embodiments of the present invention. The components of the embodiments of the present invention shown in the accompanying drawings can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. The following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention mentioned in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0010] like Figure 1 The diagram shows a structural schematic of an integrated heat exchanger for a mobile land-based heat pipe reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention. This integrated heat exchanger is mainly used in the field of mobile land-based nuclear power, serving to transfer heat from the heat pipe reactor to the gaseous working fluid or cooling medium. The reactor core consists of a core substrate 1, heat pipes 2, and fuel rods 3. The fuel rods 3 and heat pipes 2 are installed parallel to each other in the mounting holes of the core substrate 1. A shield 4 separates the reactor core and the integrated heat exchanger. The heat pipes 2 penetrate the shield 4 and transfer heat from the reactor core to the integrated heat exchanger. The integrated heat exchanger is divided into a heater and a residual heat exchanger, both located within the same shell 15 and separated by a baffle 14 and a sleeve 13. The heater consists of a heater inlet 5, a heater inlet chamber 6, a sleeve-type heating channel 7, a heater exhaust chamber 8, and a heater exhaust port 9. The residual heat exchanger consists of a cooling medium inlet 10, a residual heat exchanger 11, and a cooling medium outlet 12. The sleeve 13 is fixed between the heater inlet chamber 6 and the heater exhaust chamber 8 by a baffle 14. The sleeve 13 is flush with the end of the heat pipe, forming a sleeve-type heating channel 7. The sleeve-type heating channel 7 is filled with foam metal or fitted with fins to enhance heat transfer. This embodiment of the invention does not specifically limit the structure of the heat exchanger in other directions. The components can be fixed by welding, sleeve connection, or threaded connection, but it is essential to ensure a seal between the heater and the waste heat exchanger, and between the heater and the external environment.

[0011] When the heat pipe stack system is operating normally, the cooling medium inlet 10 and cooling medium outlet 11 are closed, the waste heat exchanger is not working, and the heat from the heat pipes is transferred to the gaseous working medium through the heater. The gaseous working medium enters the heater inlet chamber 6 through the heater inlet 5, and then enters the shell-and-tube heating channel 7 to wash over the heat pipe surface and the fins or foam metal, where it is heated. The heated gaseous working medium collects in the heater exhaust chamber 8 and leaves the heater through the heater exhaust port 9. When the heat pipe stack system is shut down, the heater stops working, the gaseous medium stops flowing, and the waste heat is transferred from the heat pipe surface through the fins or foam metal to the shell 13. At this time, the cooling medium inlet 10 and cooling medium outlet 12 are opened, and the cooling medium enters the waste heat exchanger body 11 through the cooling medium inlet 10, washing over the shell surface and carrying away the waste heat. Finally, the cooling medium carrying the waste heat leaves the waste heat exchanger through the cooling medium outlet 12. When air is used as the cooling medium, the air expands when heated in the waste heat exchanger, creating a pressure difference between the lower cooling medium inlet 10 and the upper cooling medium outlet 12. Driven by the pressure difference, the air forms a natural circulation, passively flowing from bottom to top and carrying away the waste heat.

[0012] This invention designs an integral heat exchanger for a mobile land-based heat pipe stack, creatively integrating the heater and waste heat exchanger into the same shell. This reduces the heat exchanger volume while ensuring heat exchange efficiency, solving the heat removal problem of mobile land-based heat pipe stacks under conditions of limited heat exchanger size and limited cooling medium types, and improving the compactness of the equipment.

[0013] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mobile land-based heat pipe stack integrated heat exchanger, characterized in that, The integral heat exchanger is divided into two parts: a heater and a waste heat exchanger. The heater and the waste heat exchanger are located in the same shell (15) and are separated by a baffle (14) and a sleeve (13). The heater consists of a heater inlet chamber (6) connected to the heat pipe stack core via a shield (4), a heater inlet port (5) connected to the heater inlet chamber (6), a heater exhaust chamber (8), a heater exhaust port (9) connected to the heater exhaust chamber (8), and a sleeve-type heating channel (7) formed between the sleeve (13) and the heat pipe (2) of the heat pipe stack core. The waste heat exchanger consists of a waste heat exchanger body (11) and a cooling medium inlet (10) and a cooling medium outlet (12) connected to the waste heat exchanger body. The sleeve (13) is fixed between the heater inlet chamber (6) and the heater exhaust chamber (8) by a baffle (14). The sleeve (13) is flush with the end of the heat pipe, and a sleeve-type heating channel (7) is formed between the sleeve (13) and the heat pipe (2). The heat transfer is enhanced by filling the sleeve-type heating channel (7) with foam metal or adding fins. When the heat pipe stack system is running normally, the cooling medium inlet (10) and cooling medium outlet (12) are closed, the waste heat exchanger is not working, the heat pipe heat is transferred to the gas working medium through the heater, the gas working medium enters the heater inlet chamber (6) through the heater inlet (5), and then enters the shell-and-tube heating channel (7) to wash the heat pipe surface and fins or foam metal and be heated. The heated gas working medium gathers in the heater exhaust chamber (8) and leaves the heater through the heater exhaust port (9). When the heat pipe stack system is shut down, the heater stops working and the gas medium stops flowing. The residual heat is transferred from the surface of the heat pipe through the fins or foam metal to the jacket (13). At this time, the cooling medium inlet (10) and the cooling medium outlet (12) are opened. The cooling medium enters the body of the waste heat exchanger (11) through the inlet, washes the surface of the jacket and carries away the residual heat. Finally, the cooling medium with residual heat leaves the waste heat exchanger through the outlet.

2. The mobile land-based heat pipe stack integrated heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, When air is used as the cooling medium, the air expands when heated in the waste heat exchanger, creating a pressure difference between the lower cooling medium inlet (10) and the upper cooling medium outlet (12). Driven by the pressure difference, the air forms a natural circulation, passively flowing from bottom to top and carrying away the waste heat.

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