Heat pipe reactor system and method of use thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a heat pipe reactor system and a use method thereof, and the system comprises a heat pipe reactor core, a heat pipe, a main heat exchanger and a thermoelectric conversion system; evaporation sections of the heat pipes are inserted into the heat pipe reactor core, condensation sections of the heat pipes are inserted into the main heat exchanger, and the thermoelectric conversion system is connected with the main heat exchanger; the main heat exchanger comprises a main heat transmission air inlet, a main heat transmission air outlet, a waste heat discharging air inlet and a waste heat discharging air outlet. When the heat pipe reactor normally operates, the waste heat discharge air inlet and the waste heat discharge air outlet are configured to be closed, and the main heat transmission air inlet and the main heat transmission air outlet are configured to be opened to take away heat of the reactor core; and under normal start-stop and accident conditions, the main heat transfer air inlet and the main heat transfer air outlet are configured to be closed, and the waste heat discharge air inlet and the waste heat discharge air outlet are configured to be opened to take away the residual heat of the reactor core.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention mainly relates to the technical field of nuclear reactors, and in particular to a heat pipe reactor system and a use method thereof. Background Art

[0002] A heat pipe micro-reactor refers to a solid-state reactor in which the primary loop system of the reactor does not adopt a coolant loop arrangement, but uses heat pipes to transfer the heat generated by the core to the secondary loop system or the thermoelectric conversion device. When the heat pipe micro-reactor is in operation, the fission energy generated by the reactor is transferred to the evaporation section of the metal heat pipe arranged in the core. Through the evaporation and condensation process of the working fluid inside the heat pipe and the natural circulation flow, the heat is transferred from the core to the hot end of the thermoelectric conversion device / secondary loop system. After the thermoelectric conversion device / secondary loop system converts the heat energy into electrical energy, the remaining waste heat is discharged to the final heat sink through the heat exchanger.

[0003] In order to meet the overall performance index requirements of a heat pipe micro-reactor and the core cooling requirements after shutdown, the present invention proposes a heat pipe reactor system and a method of using the same. Summary of the invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a heat pipe reactor system and a method of using the same to meet the overall performance index requirements of the heat pipe micro-reactor and the core cooling requirements after shutdown.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a heat pipe reactor system, comprising: a heat pipe reactor core, a heat pipe, a main heat exchanger and a thermoelectric conversion system; wherein the evaporation section of the heat pipe is inserted into the heat pipe reactor core, the condensation section of the heat pipe is inserted into the main heat exchanger, and the thermoelectric conversion system is connected to the main heat exchanger; the main heat exchanger comprises a main heat transfer air inlet, a main heat transfer air outlet, a residual heat discharge air inlet and a residual heat discharge air outlet; under normal operation of the heat pipe reactor, the residual heat discharge air inlet and the residual heat discharge air outlet are configured to be closed, and the main heat transfer air inlet and the main heat transfer air outlet are configured to be opened to take away the heat from the core; under normal start-up and shutdown of the reactor and accident conditions, the main heat transfer air inlet and the main heat transfer air outlet are configured to be closed, and the residual heat discharge air inlet and the residual heat discharge air outlet are configured to be opened to take away the residual heat from the core.

[0006] Optionally, the main heat transfer air inlet and the main heat transfer air outlet are arranged on the side of the main heat exchanger; the waste heat discharge air inlet is arranged at the bottom of the main heat exchanger, and the waste heat discharge air outlet is arranged at the top of the main heat exchanger.

[0007] Under the normal start-up and shutdown conditions and accident conditions, when the residual heat discharge air inlet and the residual heat discharge air outlet are configured to be opened, the main heat exchanger introduces air in a passive manner, and the air flows into the main heat exchanger through the residual heat discharge air inlet, and exchanges heat with the core decay heat transferred by the heat pipe in the heat exchanger, and the heated air flows out from the residual heat discharge air outlet.

[0008] Optionally, the main heat exchanger includes a plurality of waste heat discharge air inlets and a plurality of waste heat discharge air outlets, and the number of the waste heat discharge air inlets is equal to the number of the waste heat discharge air outlets.

[0009] Optionally, during normal startup and shutdown of the reactor and during accident conditions, a portion of the residual heat exhaust air inlets and the residual heat exhaust air outlets are opened, and the remaining portions are kept as backup.

[0010] Optionally, the thermoelectric conversion system includes a compressor, a gas turbine and a motor, the compressor is connected to the main heat transfer air inlet, the gas turbine is connected to the main heat transfer air outlet, and the motor is connected to the gas turbine.

[0011] Optionally, removing the core heat through the main heat transfer inlet and the main heat transfer outlet includes: the air compressed by the compressor enters the main heat exchanger through the main heat transfer inlet, the core heat transferred by the heat pipe exchanges heat with the air, and the heated air flows out from the main heat transfer outlet to the gas turbine.

[0012] Optionally, a header is provided on the side of the main heat exchanger shell.

[0013] Optionally, the heat pipe reactor core is an all-solid-state reactor.

[0014] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a method for using a heat pipe reactor system, comprising the following steps: when the heat pipe reactor is operating normally, the heat pipe reactor core generates heat energy, and the heat pipe introduces the heat energy generated by the heat pipe reactor core into a main heat exchanger; compressed air enters the main heat exchanger through the main heat transfer air inlet, the heat energy transferred by the heat pipe exchanges heat with the air, and the heated air flows out from the main heat transfer air outlet to the thermoelectric conversion system;

[0015] Under normal start-up and shutdown of the reactor and accident conditions, the waste heat discharge air inlet and the waste heat discharge air outlet are opened, and air flows into the main heat exchanger through the waste heat discharge air inlet. The air and the core decay heat transferred by the heat pipe exchange heat in the heat exchanger, and the heated air flows out from the waste heat discharge air outlet.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0017] The heat pipe reactor system of the present invention, through the structural arrangement of the main heat exchanger, enables the main heat exchanger to be used for both main heat transmission and waste heat discharge, thereby reducing the need to set up a dedicated waste heat exchanger. In other words, the main heat transmission and waste heat discharge share the same main heat exchanger, thereby reducing system costs. On the other hand, by arranging the waste heat discharge air inlet at the bottom of the main heat exchanger and the waste heat discharge air outlet at the top of the main heat exchanger, natural air convection is achieved, which can quickly extract the reactor waste heat and ensure that the reactor is safe and controllable. The waste heat discharge of the present invention adopts passive air convection as a cooling method. Compared with water cooling or other active methods, passive air cooling uses air as a cooling medium and is not restricted by geographical location, making it convenient for use in water-scarce areas. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present application. They are included and constitute a part of the present application. The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the present application and together with the present specification serve to explain the principles of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a heat pipe reactor system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the main heat exchanger.

[0021] Figure 3A yes Figure 2 Schematic cross-sectional view of the BB section.

[0022] Figure 3B yes Figure 2 Left side view of the main heat exchanger.

[0023] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a heat pipe reactor system according to one embodiment.

[0024] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Flow chart of the method of use of the heat pipe reactor system under normal operation.

[0025] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 Flowchart of the method of using the heat pipe reactor system for normal startup and shutdown and accident conditions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some examples or embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, the present application can also be applied to other similar scenarios based on these drawings without creative work. Unless it is obvious from the language environment or otherwise explained, the same reference numerals in the figures represent the same structure or operation.

[0027] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a heat pipe reactor system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the heat pipe reactor system 100 includes a heat pipe reactor core 11, a heat pipe 12, a main heat exchanger 13 and a thermoelectric conversion system 14. The evaporation section of the heat pipe 12 is inserted into the heat pipe reactor core 11, the condensation section of the heat pipe is inserted into the main heat exchanger 13, and the thermoelectric conversion system 14 is connected to the main heat exchanger 13. Optionally, the heat pipe reactor core 11 is an all-solid-state reactor. The heat pipe reactor core 11 includes a fuel rod 111, a matrix 112 and a drive mechanism 113. The drive mechanism 113 can be a drum or a safety rod. The main heat exchanger 13 includes a main heat transfer air inlet 131, a main heat transfer air outlet 132, a header 135, a residual heat exhaust air inlet (not shown) and a residual heat exhaust air outlet (not shown).

[0028] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the main heat exchanger. Figure 3A yes Figure 2 Schematic cross-sectional view of the BB section. Figure 3B yes Figure 2 Left side view of the main heat exchanger. Figure 2 , Figure 3A and Figure 3BAs shown, the main heat exchanger 13 includes a main heat transfer air inlet 131, a main heat transfer air outlet 132, a residual heat discharge air inlet 133, a residual heat discharge air outlet 134, a header 135 and a shell (not shown). In this embodiment, the main heat exchanger 13 includes three residual heat discharge air inlets 133 and three residual heat discharge air outlets 134. Optionally, the main heat transfer air inlet 131, the main heat transfer air outlet 132, the residual heat discharge air inlet 133, and the residual heat discharge air outlet 134 are respectively provided with corresponding valves. Under normal operation of the heat pipe reactor, the valves of the three residual heat discharge air inlets 133 and the three residual heat discharge air outlets 134 are all in a closed state. The main heat transfer air inlet 131 and the main heat transfer air outlet 132 are configured to be open to take away the core heat; under normal start-up and shutdown conditions and accident conditions, the main heat transfer air inlet 131 and the main heat transfer air outlet 132 are configured to be closed, two residual heat discharge air inlets 133 and two residual heat discharge air outlets 134 are opened, and the remaining one residual heat discharge air inlet 133 and one residual heat discharge air outlet 134 are closed as backup. The residual heat of the core is taken away through the residual heat discharge air inlet 133 and the residual heat discharge air outlet 134.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, the main heat transfer air inlet 131 and the main heat transfer air outlet 132 are arranged on the side of the main heat exchanger 13. In this embodiment, the main heat transfer air inlet 131 and the main heat transfer air outlet 132 are arranged on the same side. In other embodiments, the main heat transfer air inlet 131 and the main heat transfer air outlet 132 can also be arranged on opposite sides.

[0030] The waste heat exhaust air inlet 133 is arranged at the bottom of the main heat exchanger, and the waste heat exhaust air outlet 134 is arranged at the top of the main heat exchanger. Such an arrangement allows the main heat exchanger to use passive air convection as a cooling method. Figure 2 and Figure 3B As shown, when an accident occurs, the reactor is triggered to shut down, and cold air flows into the main heat exchanger 13 through the residual heat exhaust air inlet 133 at the bottom. The air and the core decay heat transmitted by the heat pipe exchange heat, and the heated air flows upward driven by the density difference and is discharged into the external environment through the residual heat exhaust air outlet 134 at the top, thereby continuously cooling the core. The residual heat exhaust of the present invention adopts passive air convection as a cooling method. Compared with water cooling or other active methods, passive air cooling uses air as a cooling medium, which is not restricted by geographical location and is convenient for use in water-scarce areas. At the same time, by adopting the passive air cooling method, the air environment can be regarded as an infinite heat sink, so that the total heat exhaust capacity of the system is not restricted, and the reliability of the system is also improved.

[0031] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a heat pipe reactor system according to a specific embodiment. Figure 4As shown, in the heat pipe reactor system 400, the thermoelectric conversion system 14 includes a compressor 141, a gas turbine 142 and a motor 143. The compressor 141 is connected to the main heat transfer air inlet 131, the gas turbine 142 is connected to the main heat transfer air outlet 132, and the motor 143 is connected to the gas turbine 142. Figure 3A and Figure 4 As shown, under normal heat exchange conditions, the air compressed by the compressor 141 enters the main heat exchanger 13 through the main heat transfer air inlet 131, the core heat transferred by the heat pipe 12 exchanges heat with the air, and the heated air flows out from the main heat transfer air outlet 132 to the gas turbine 142. In other words, the shell side of the heat exchanger is compressed air, the outside of the equipment is at normal pressure, and there is a pressure difference on both sides. The compressed air enters through the main heat transfer air inlet 131 set on the side of the heat exchanger, and the heated air enters the gas turbine 142 through the main heat transfer air outlet 132, and the gas turbine 142 drives the motor 143 to work.

[0032] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Flow chart of the method of use of the heat pipe reactor system under normal operation. Figure 5 As shown, the method 500 for using the heat pipe reactor system includes the following steps:

[0033] Step S51: The heat pipe reactor core operates to generate heat energy.

[0034] Step S52: The heat pipe introduces the heat energy generated by the heat pipe reactor core into the main heat exchanger.

[0035] Step S53: The compressed air enters the main heat exchanger through the main heat transfer air inlet, and the heat energy transferred by the heat pipe exchanges heat with the air.

[0036] Step S54: The heated air flows out from the main heat transfer outlet to the gas turbine.

[0037] Step S55: The gas turbine drives the motor to work.

[0038] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 Flow chart of the method of using the heat pipe reactor system in normal startup and shutdown and accident conditions. Figure 6 As shown, the method 600 for using the heat pipe reactor system includes the following steps:

[0039] Step S61: the residual heat exhaust air inlet and the residual heat exhaust air outlet are opened.

[0040] Step S62: air flows into the main heat exchanger through the residual heat exhaust inlet at the bottom, and the air and the core decay heat transferred by the heat pipe are heat exchanged in the heat exchanger.

[0041] Step S63: The heated air flows out from the waste heat exhaust vent at the top.

[0042] The heat pipe reactor system of the present invention, through the structural setting of the main heat exchanger, enables the main heat exchanger to be used for both main heat transmission and waste heat discharge, thus reducing the need to set up a dedicated waste heat exchanger. In other words, the main heat transmission and waste heat discharge share the main heat exchanger, thus reducing the system cost. On the other hand, by setting the waste heat discharge air inlet at the bottom of the main heat exchanger and the waste heat discharge air outlet at the top of the main heat exchanger, natural air convection is achieved, which can quickly remove the waste heat of the reactor and ensure the safety and controllability of the reactor. The waste heat discharge of the present invention uses air as the final heat sink and does not require water as a cooling means. Therefore, in the absence of a water source, the waste heat after the reactor is shut down can still be effectively removed.

[0043] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the above invention disclosure is only used as an example and does not constitute a limitation of the present application. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements and amendments to the present application. Such modifications, improvements and amendments are suggested in the present application, so such modifications, improvements and amendments still belong to the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of the present application.

[0044] At the same time, the present application uses specific words to describe the embodiments of the present application. For example, "one embodiment", "an embodiment", and / or "some embodiments" refer to a certain feature, structure or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or more in different positions in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, some features, structures or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the present application can be appropriately combined.

[0045] As shown in this application and claims, unless the context clearly indicates an exception, the words "a", "an", "an" and / or "the" do not refer to the singular and may also include the plural. Generally speaking, the terms "include" and "comprise" only indicate the inclusion of the steps and elements that have been clearly identified, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list. The method or device may also include other steps or elements.

[0046] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​of the parts and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present application. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship. The technology, method and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant field may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, the technology, method and equipment should be considered as a part of the authorization specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific value should be interpreted as being merely exemplary, rather than as a limitation. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, so that once a certain item is defined in an accompanying drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0047] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the directions or positional relationships indicated by directional words such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "lateral, vertical, perpendicular, horizontal" and "top, bottom" are usually based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present application; the directional words "inside and outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the contours of each component itself.

[0048] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used here to describe the spatial positional relationship between a device or feature and other devices or features as shown in the figure. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figure. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below other devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". The device can also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used here are interpreted accordingly.

[0049] In addition, it should be noted that the use of words such as "first" and "second" to define components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. If not otherwise stated, the above words have no special meaning and cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this application. In addition, although the terms used in this application are selected from well-known and commonly used terms, some terms mentioned in the specification of this application may be selected by the applicant at his or her discretion, and their detailed meanings are explained in the relevant parts of the description of this article. In addition, it is required to understand this application not only by the actual terms used, but also by the meaning implied by each term.

[0050] Flowcharts are used in the present application to illustrate the operations performed by the system according to the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the preceding or following operations are not necessarily performed accurately in order. On the contrary, various steps may be processed in reverse order or simultaneously. At the same time, other operations may be added to these processes, or one or more operations may be removed from these processes.

[0051] Similarly, it should be noted that in order to simplify the description of the disclosure of this application and thus help understand one or more embodiments of the invention, in the above description of the embodiments of this application, multiple features are sometimes combined into one embodiment, figure or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not mean that the features required by the object of this application are more than the features mentioned in the claims. In fact, the features of the embodiments are less than all the features of the single embodiment disclosed above.

[0052] In some embodiments, numbers describing the number of components and attributes are used. It should be understood that such numbers used in the description of the embodiments are modified by the modifiers "about", "approximately" or "substantially" in some examples. Unless otherwise specified, "about", "approximately" or "substantially" indicate that the numbers are allowed to vary by ±20%. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the specification and claims are approximate values, which may change according to the required features of individual embodiments. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should take into account the specified significant digits and adopt the general method of retaining digits. Although the numerical domains and parameters used to confirm the breadth of their range in some embodiments of the present application are approximate values, in specific embodiments, the setting of such numerical values ​​is as accurate as possible within the feasible range.

[0053] Although the present application has been described with reference to the current specific embodiments, ordinary technicians in this technical field should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present application, and various equivalent changes or substitutions may be made without departing from the spirit of the present application. Therefore, as long as the changes and modifications to the above embodiments are within the essential spirit of the present application, they will fall within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A heat pipe reactor system, characterized in that: include: Heat pipe reactor cores, heat pipes, primary heat exchangers, and thermoelectric conversion systems; Wherein, the evaporation section of the heat pipe is inserted into the heat pipe reactor core, the condensation section of the heat pipe is inserted into the main heat exchanger, and the thermoelectric conversion system is connected to the main heat exchanger; The main heat exchanger includes a main heat transfer air inlet, a main heat transfer air outlet, a residual heat discharge air inlet and a residual heat discharge air outlet; under normal operation of the heat pipe reactor, the residual heat discharge air inlet and the residual heat discharge air outlet are configured to be closed, and the main heat transfer air inlet and the main heat transfer air outlet are configured to be opened to take away the heat from the core; under normal start-up and shutdown of the reactor and accident conditions, the main heat transfer air inlet and the main heat transfer air outlet are configured to be closed, and the residual heat discharge air inlet and the residual heat discharge air outlet are configured to be opened to take away the residual heat from the core.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The main heat transfer air inlet and the main heat transfer air outlet are arranged on the side of the main heat exchanger; the waste heat discharge air inlet is arranged at the bottom of the main heat exchanger, and the waste heat discharge air outlet is arranged at the top of the main heat exchanger.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that Under the normal start-up and shutdown conditions and accident conditions, when the residual heat discharge air inlet and the residual heat discharge air outlet are configured to be opened, the main heat exchanger introduces air in a passive manner, and the air flows into the main heat exchanger through the residual heat discharge air inlet, and exchanges heat with the core decay heat transferred by the heat pipe in the heat exchanger, and the heated air flows out from the residual heat discharge air outlet.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The main heat exchanger comprises a plurality of waste heat discharge air inlets and a plurality of waste heat discharge air outlets, and the number of the waste heat discharge air inlets is equal to the number of the waste heat discharge air outlets.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that Under normal startup and shutdown of the reactor and accident conditions, a portion of the residual heat discharge air inlets and the residual heat discharge air outlets are configured to be opened, and the remaining portions are used as standby.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The thermoelectric conversion system comprises a compressor, a gas turbine and a motor, wherein the compressor is connected to the main heat transfer air inlet, the gas turbine is connected to the main heat transfer air outlet, and the motor is connected to the gas turbine.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that The main heat transfer air inlet and the main heat transfer air outlet are configured to be opened so that the air compressed by the compressor enters the main heat exchanger through the main heat transfer air inlet, the core heat transferred by the heat pipe exchanges heat with the air, and the heated air flows out from the main heat transfer air outlet to the gas turbine.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein: A header is arranged on the side of the shell of the main heat exchanger.

9. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The heat pipe reactor core is an all-solid-state reactor.

10. A method for using the heat pipe reactor system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: When the heat pipe reactor is in normal operation, the heat pipe reactor core generates heat energy, and the heat pipe introduces the heat energy generated by the heat pipe reactor core into the main heat exchanger; compressed air enters the main heat exchanger through the main heat transfer air inlet, and the heat energy transferred by the heat pipe exchanges heat with the air, and the heated air flows out from the main heat transfer air outlet to the thermoelectric conversion system; Under normal start-up and shutdown of the reactor and accident conditions, the waste heat discharge air inlet and the waste heat discharge air outlet are opened, and air flows into the main heat exchanger through the waste heat discharge air inlet. The air and the core decay heat transferred by the heat pipe exchange heat in the heat exchanger, and the heated air flows out from the waste heat discharge air outlet.

Images