Residual heat removal system for lunar reactor and lunar reactor

By installing a second heat transfer element and a residual heat removal system with a radiating structure in the lunar reactor, the safety and reliability issues of residual heat removal during lunar reactor accidents were resolved, achieving the effect of protecting the reactor core safety without affecting normal operating efficiency.

CN119943459BActive Publication Date: 2025-11-18CHINA INSTITUTE OF ATOMIC ENERGY
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202510169089.2
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-02-14
Publication Date
2025-11-18
Estimated Expiration
2045-02-14

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In the current technology, the safety issues of lunar reactors have not been effectively resolved, especially the insufficient reliability and efficiency of the waste heat removal system in the event of an accident.

Method used

A residual heat removal system suitable for lunar reactors was designed, including a second heat transfer element and a radiating structure. The second heat transfer element does not start during normal operation, but is passively activated in the event of an accident to conduct heat from the reactor core to the radiating structure and radiate it to the external environment, thus avoiding affecting the thermoelectric conversion efficiency.

Benefits of technology

To protect the reactor core during a lunar reactor accident, improve the reliability of residual heat removal, prevent core meltdown, and maintain normal thermoelectric conversion efficiency without increasing system size and complexity.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of residual heat removal during shutdown, and particularly to a residual heat removal system suitable for a lunar reactor and the lunar reactor. The lunar reactor comprises a reactor core, a first heat transfer member and a thermoelectric conversion element. The reactor core is configured to provide heat, the first heat transfer member is configured to transfer heat of the reactor core to the thermoelectric conversion element, and the thermoelectric conversion element is configured to convert the heat of the reactor core into electric energy. The residual heat removal system comprises a second heat transfer member and a radiation structure. The second heat transfer member is configured to transfer heat of the reactor core to an outside of the reactor core, and the radiation structure is in thermal conductive connection with the second heat transfer member to radiate heat transferred by the second heat transfer member to an external environment. The second heat transfer member is configured to be non-activated when the lunar reactor is in normal operation, and to be non-actively activated to transfer heat of the reactor core to the radiation structure as the temperature of the reactor core increases when the lunar reactor is in an accident. The residual heat removal system provided by the embodiments of the present application can non-actively remove residual heat of the reactor core.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of this application relate to the field of removing residual heat from reactor shutdowns, specifically to a residual heat removal system suitable for lunar reactors and a lunar reactor. Background Technology

[0002] The statements herein are provided merely as background information in connection with this application and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] Establishing a lunar base on the lunar surface would facilitate better lunar exploration. Nuclear power sources (i.e., lunar reactors) could be used to power the lunar base. The safety of these lunar reactors is crucial for the sustainable development of the lunar base.

[0004] Currently, there are still some safety issues with lunar reactors. Summary of the Invention

[0005] A brief overview of this application is provided below to offer a basic understanding of certain aspects thereof. It should be understood that this overview is not an exhaustive summary of the application. It is not intended to identify key or essential parts of the application, nor is it intended to limit its scope. Its purpose is merely to present certain concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that follows.

[0006] Embodiments of this application provide a lunar reactor and a waste heat removal system suitable therefor.

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a residual heat removal system suitable for a lunar reactor. The lunar reactor includes a core, a first heat transfer element, and a thermoelectric conversion element. The core provides heat, the first heat transfer element conducts the heat from the core to the thermoelectric conversion element, and the thermoelectric conversion element converts the heat from the core into electrical energy. The residual heat removal system includes a second heat transfer element and a radiating structure. The second heat transfer element conducts the heat from the core to the outside of the core; the radiating structure is thermally connected to the second heat transfer element to radiate the heat conducted by the second heat transfer element to the external environment. The second heat transfer element is configured such that it does not activate when the lunar reactor is operating normally; and when an accident occurs in the lunar reactor, as the core temperature rises, the second heat transfer element passively activates to conduct the heat from the core to the radiating structure.

[0008] The residual heat removal system for lunar reactors provided in this application, through the inclusion of a second heat transfer element and a radiating structure, ensures that during normal operation of the lunar reactor, the heat generated by the reactor core is not wasted due to the second heat transfer element not being activated, thus avoiding impact on the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the lunar reactor. When an accident occurs in the lunar reactor (e.g., all thermoelectric conversion elements are damaged), the reactor shuts down and the first heat transfer element fails, causing the core temperature to rise. As the core temperature rises to the minimum activation temperature of the second heat transfer element, it passively activates, conducting heat from the lunar reactor core to the radiating structure and radiating it to the external environment. The residual heat removal system of this application can passively remove residual heat from the reactor core, which helps ensure the safety of the lunar reactor core and improves the reliability of residual heat removal.

[0009] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a lunar reactor that includes the waste heat removal system provided in the embodiments of the first aspect of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Other objects and advantages of this application will become apparent from the following description of embodiments of this application with reference to the accompanying drawings, and will help to provide a comprehensive understanding of this application.

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lunar stack provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the lunar surface stack after it has been installed in the lunar crater, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0013] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic of the lunar surface stack after omitting the first heat transfer element and the thermoelectric conversion element.

[0014] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The diagram shows a cross-section of the lunar surface pile.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the core of the lunar reactor provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0016] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A magnified view of a portion of the reactor core is shown.

[0017] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0018] 100. Waste heat removal system;

[0019] 10. Second heat transfer element; 101. First pipe section; 102. Second pipe section; 103. Third pipe section; 20. Radiant structure; 30. Heat-conducting element; 40. Heat insulation element;

[0020] 200. Lunar reactor; 201. Reactor core; 2011. Lump fuel; 20110. Fuel channels; 2012. Radial reflector layer; 202. First heat transfer element; 2021. First tube section; 2022. Second tube section; 2023. Third tube section; 203. Thermoelectric conversion element; 204. Shielding body; 205. Vibration damping device;

[0021] 300. Moon surface; 301. Moon crater.

[0022] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but are shown only in a schematic manner without affecting the reader's understanding. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Exemplary embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. For clarity and brevity, not all features of actual implementations are described in the specification. However, it should be understood that many implementation-specific decisions must be made in the development of any such actual embodiment to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as complying with constraints related to the system and business, and these constraints may vary depending on the implementation. Furthermore, it should be understood that while development work can be very complex and time-consuming, such development work is merely a routine task for those skilled in the art who benefit from the content of this application.

[0024] It should also be noted that, in order to avoid obscuring this application with unnecessary details, only the equipment structure and / or processing steps closely related to the solution according to this application are shown in the accompanying drawings, while other details that are not closely related to this application are omitted.

[0025] Ground-based nuclear reactors typically have residual heat removal systems to dissipate residual heat after an accident and reactor shutdown. These systems usually remove residual heat by injecting water into the reactor or by ventilating it. However, for lunar reactors, which require launch to the lunar surface for deployment, ground-based residual heat removal systems are unsuitable for lunar deployment.

[0026] To address the aforementioned issues, embodiments of this application provide a waste heat removal system suitable for lunar reactors.

[0027] Embodiments of this application provide a waste heat removal system suitable for lunar reactors, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lunar reactor 200 provided in an embodiment of this application. The lunar reactor 200 includes a reactor core 201, a first heat transfer element 202, and a thermoelectric conversion element 203 disposed outside the reactor core 201. The reactor core 201 is used to provide heat, the first heat transfer element 202 is used to conduct the heat of the reactor core 201 to the thermoelectric conversion element 203, and the thermoelectric conversion element 203 is used to convert the heat of the reactor core 201 into electrical energy.

[0028] See Figure 1 The waste heat removal system 100 includes a second heat transfer element 10 and a radiation structure 20. The second heat transfer element 10 is used to conduct heat from the reactor core 201 to the outside of the reactor core 201; the radiation structure 20 is thermally connected to the second heat transfer element 10 to radiate the heat conducted by the second heat transfer element 10 to the external environment. The second heat transfer element 10 is configured such that: when the lunar reactor 200 is operating normally, the second heat transfer element 10 does not start; when the lunar reactor 200 experiences an accident, as the temperature of the reactor core 201 rises, the second heat transfer element 10 is passively activated to conduct heat from the reactor core 201 to the radiation structure 20.

[0029] The residual heat removal system 100 for a lunar reactor 200 provided in the embodiments of this application, by setting a second heat transfer element 10 and a radiation structure 20, ensures that when the lunar reactor 200 is operating normally, the heat generated by the reactor core 201 will not be wasted by transferring it to the radiation structure 20 due to the inactivity of the second heat transfer element 10, thus avoiding affecting the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the lunar reactor 200. When an accident occurs in the lunar reactor 200 (e.g., all thermoelectric conversion elements 203 are damaged), the lunar reactor 200 shuts down and the first heat transfer element 202 fails, causing the temperature of the reactor core 201 to rise. As the temperature of the reactor core 201 rises to the minimum start-up temperature of the second heat transfer element 10, the second heat transfer element 10 is passively activated, conducting the heat of the lunar reactor core 201 to the radiation structure 20 and radiating it to the external environment. The residual heat removal system 100 of the embodiments of this application can remove residual heat from the core 201 in a passive manner, which helps to ensure the safety of the core 201 of the lunar reactor 200 and improve the reliability of residual heat removal.

[0030] In some embodiments, the second heat transfer element 10 is a heat pipe, and the minimum start-up temperature of the second heat transfer element 10 is higher than the temperature of the core 201 during normal operation of the lunar reactor 200. When the lunar reactor 200 is operating normally, since the temperature of the core 201 is lower than the minimum start-up temperature of the second heat transfer element 10, the second heat transfer element 10 does not start; that is, the second working medium within the second heat transfer element 10 does not undergo a phase change, and its thermal conductivity is negligible. The heat generated by the core 201 is not wasted by transferring it to the radiating structure 20 through the second heat transfer element 10, thus avoiding impacting the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the lunar reactor 200. When an accident occurs in the lunar reactor 200, as the temperature of the core 201 rises to the minimum start-up temperature of the second heat transfer element 10, the second working medium within the second heat transfer element 10 undergoes a phase change for efficient heat transfer, rapidly transferring the heat from the core 201 to the radiating structure 20.

[0031] In such an embodiment, the residual heat removal system 100 provided by the embodiments of this application can remove residual heat from the reactor core 201 to protect the reactor core 201 from melting down in the event of an accident and shutdown; at the same time, it also helps to avoid a significant increase in the system size, weight and complexity of the lunar reactor 200.

[0032] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a lunar reactor installed in a lunar crater according to an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, the first heat transfer element 202 is a heat pipe. In such embodiments, heat within the reactor core 201 can be transferred to the thermoelectric conversion element 203 via the heat pipe, and such a lunar reactor 200 can be called a heat pipe type lunar reactor.

[0033] When both the second heat transfer element 10 and the first heat transfer element 202 are heat pipes, the minimum start-up temperature of the second working medium of the second heat transfer element 10 is higher than the minimum start-up temperature of the first working medium of the first heat transfer element 202. In such an embodiment, during normal operation of the lunar reactor 200, by setting the temperature of the reactor core 201 to be higher than the minimum start-up temperature of the first heat transfer element 202 and lower than the minimum start-up temperature of the second heat transfer element 10, the heat of the reactor core 201 can be transferred to the thermoelectric conversion element 203 through the first heat transfer element 202, while the heat of the reactor core 201 will not be transferred to the radiation structure 20 through the second heat transfer element 10.

[0034] When both the second heat transfer element 10 and the first heat transfer element 202 are heat pipes, the first working medium of the first heat transfer element 202 can be sodium; the second working medium of the second heat transfer element 10 can be lithium.

[0035] In some embodiments, the core 201 temperature of the lunar reactor 200 is 788-820°C, the minimum start-up temperature of the sodium heat pipe is set to 540-550°C, and it has good heat transfer performance at around 800°C; the minimum start-up temperature of the lithium heat pipe is set to 840-850°C. This setting is beneficial to improving thermoelectric conversion efficiency, while also ensuring the safety of the core 201.

[0036] In some embodiments, the first heat transfer element 202 is a coolant loop. In such embodiments, heat within the core 201 can be transferred to the thermoelectric conversion element 203 via the coolant loop; such a lunar reactor 200 can be referred to as a loop-type lunar reactor. The waste heat removal system 100 of the embodiments of this application is applicable not only to heat pipe-type lunar reactors but also to loop-type lunar reactors. For loop-type lunar reactors, the second heat transfer element 10 can be arranged radially outside the core container.

[0037] In some embodiments, the radiating structure 20 may be a heat dissipation fin. The heat dissipation fin may be, for example, a carbon-carbon fin.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first heat transfer element 202 includes a housing and a capillary structure disposed on the inner wall of the housing, and a first heat transfer medium is disposed within the housing. In some embodiments, the housing and capillary structure of the first heat transfer element 202 may be made of a Ni-Cr based solid solution strengthened wrought superalloy (Haynes 230).

[0039] In some embodiments, the thermoelectric conversion element 203 may be a free-piston Stirling generator. In some embodiments, when the thermoelectric conversion element 203 is a free-piston Stirling generator, the lunar stack 200 may further include a vibration damping device 205 for reducing the vibration of the free-piston Stirling generator during the process of converting heat into electrical energy.

[0040] In some embodiments, the second heat transfer element 10 may be made of a molybdenum-rhenium alloy.

[0041] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the lunar stack 200 after omitting the first heat transfer element 202 and the thermoelectric conversion element 203. Figure 4 yes Figure 3The cross-sectional view of the lunar reactor 200 shown illustrates that, in some embodiments, the reactor core 201 may include block fuel 2011 forming a plurality of fuel channels 20110. Multiple first heat transfer elements 202 extend through a corresponding fuel channel 20110 to the outside of the reactor core 201. Multiple second heat transfer elements 10 are also present, each in thermal contact with the block fuel 2011. It is readily understood that the second heat transfer elements 10 do not necessarily need to be in thermal contact with the block fuel 2011 through the first heat transfer elements 202.

[0042] In such an embodiment, the first heat transfer element 202 extends to the outside of the core 201 through the corresponding fuel channel 20110 formed by the block fuel 2011, which is beneficial for the first heat transfer element 202 to transfer the heat of the block fuel 2011 to the thermoelectric conversion element 203; at the same time, each second heat transfer element 10 is in thermally conductive contact with the block fuel 2011, which is beneficial to improve the overall heat transfer efficiency of the second heat transfer element 10 in conducting the heat of the core 201 to the radiation structure 20.

[0043] In some embodiments, the block fuel 2011 may be a uranium-molybdenum alloy.

[0044] In some embodiments, the second heat transfer element 10 is in thermal contact with the block fuel 2011 on the radially outer side of the block fuel 2011. In such embodiments, the above arrangement allows the second heat transfer element 10 to avoid entering the interior of the block fuel 2011, thus avoiding increasing the complexity of the core 201 structure and the amount of block fuel 2011 used. Therefore, the residual heat removal system 100 provided by the embodiments of this application can remove residual heat from the core 201 to protect the core 201 from meltdown in the event of an accident and shutdown; at the same time, it also prevents a significant increase in the system size, weight, and complexity of the lunar reactor 200.

[0045] In some embodiments, when the lunar reactor 200 is a loop-type lunar reactor, the lunar reactor 200 may further include a core container, and fuel is disposed inside the core container. The second heat transfer element 10 may be in direct thermal contact with the outer surface of the core container.

[0046] See Figure 5 and Figure 6 , Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the core 201 of the lunar reactor 200 provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 yes Figure 5The partially enlarged view of the reactor core 201 shown illustrates that, in some embodiments, the waste heat removal system 100 may further include multiple heat-conducting elements 30. Each second heat transfer element 10 makes thermal contact with the block fuel 2011 through a corresponding heat-conducting element 30. The surfaces of the heat-conducting elements 30 facing the second heat transfer element 10 and facing the block fuel 2011 are respectively adapted to the shapes of the second heat transfer element 10 and the block fuel 2011. In such embodiments, by providing heat-conducting elements 30, the heat exchange area between the second heat transfer element 10 and the block fuel 2011 can be increased, which is beneficial for transferring heat from the block fuel 2011 to the second heat transfer element 10.

[0047] In some embodiments, the heat-conducting element 30 may be made of a highly thermally conductive metal, such as copper. In some embodiments, the heat-conducting element 30 may be made of a molybdenum-rhenium alloy.

[0048] In some embodiments, the second heat transfer element 10 is a pipe, and the surface of the heat conduction element 30 facing the second heat transfer element 10 and the surface facing the block fuel 2011 can be respectively formed with an arc groove adapted to the shape of the second heat transfer element 10 and an arc groove adapted to the shape of the block fuel 2011.

[0049] See Figure 6 In some embodiments, the waste heat removal system 100 may further include a heat insulation element 40, with block fuel 2011, a heat conductor 30, and a second heat transfer element 10 disposed radially inside the heat insulation element 40 to reduce heat loss along the radial direction of the core 201. In such embodiments, reducing heat loss along the radial direction of the core 201 through the heat insulation element 40 helps ensure that as much heat as possible from the core 201 can be conducted to the thermoelectric conversion element 203 through the first heat transfer element 202, thus avoiding a reduction in the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the lunar reactor 200.

[0050] In some embodiments, the radially inner surface of the heat insulation element 40 is in contact with the block fuel 2011, the second heat transfer element 10, and the heat conduction element 30 to improve the heat insulation effect and further reduce heat loss along the radial direction of the core 201. The heat insulation element 40 may be annular.

[0051] See Figures 1 to 4 In some embodiments, the core 201 may further include a radial reflective layer 2012 disposed radially outside the block fuel 2011, with the heat insulation element 40 located radially inside the radial reflective layer 2012. In such embodiments, the above arrangement enables the heat insulation element 40 to reduce the heat transferred from the core 201 to the radial reflective layer 2012.

[0052] See Figures 1 to 4In some embodiments, the lunar reactor 200 may further include a shield 204 disposed between the reactor core 201 and the thermoelectric conversion element 203 to provide shielding for the thermoelectric conversion element 203; a second heat transfer element 10 passes through the shield 204; and a radiation structure 20 is thermally connected to the second heat transfer element 10 above the shield 204. In such embodiments, the shield 204 can shield radiation rays from the reactor core 201 to prevent the radiation rays from the reactor core 201 from affecting the thermoelectric conversion element 203.

[0053] When the lunar reactor 200 is arranged on the lunar surface 300, a lunar crater 301 is usually formed on the lunar surface 300. The shield 204 is usually set together with the reactor core 201 in the lunar crater 301. The radiating structure 20 is thermally connected to the second heat transfer element 10 above the shield 204, so that the radiating structure 20 can be set above the lunar crater 301, thereby facilitating heat radiation to the external environment.

[0054] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, there are multiple first heat transfer elements 202 and multiple second heat transfer elements 10. Each first heat transfer element 202 is distributed in the middle of the shield 204, and each second heat transfer element 10 is distributed near the radial outer edge of the shield 204. In such embodiments, multiple first heat transfer elements 202 and multiple second heat transfer elements 10 are beneficial to improving heat transfer efficiency; at the same time, the above arrangement can avoid mutual interference between multiple first heat transfer elements 202 and multiple second heat transfer elements 10 during operation.

[0055] See Figure 1 and Figure 2In some embodiments, the pipe segments of each second heat transfer element 10 located above the shield 204 and the radiating structure 20 connected to each second heat transfer element 10 together form an annular structure. The first heat transfer element 202 includes a first pipe segment 2021, a second pipe segment 2022, and a third pipe segment 2023 thermally connected to the thermoelectric conversion element 203; wherein, the first heat transfer element 202 extends from the core 201 to above the shield 204 and is located radially inside the annular structure, the third pipe segment 2023 is located radially outside the radiating structure 20 and is higher than the radiating structure 20; the second pipe segment 2022 extends radially outward and upward from the upper end of the first pipe segment 2021 to the lower end of the third pipe segment 2023. In this embodiment, the third tube segment 2023 is located radially outside and higher than the radiating structure 20, ensuring that the third tube segment 2023 does not affect the radiative heat dissipation of the radiating structure 20. Simultaneously, this arrangement ensures that even if the radiation rays from the reactor core 201 penetrate the shielding body 204 through the first tube segment 2021 of the first heat transfer element 202, they cannot reach the thermoelectric conversion element 203 through the second tube segment 2022 and the third tube segment 2023, thus preventing the radiation rays from the reactor core 201 from affecting the thermoelectric conversion element 203. Furthermore, this arrangement allows the thermoelectric conversion element 203 to be positioned outside the annular structure, thereby enabling the annular structure to further shield the rays emitted by the reactor core 201 that penetrate the shielding body 204, preventing these rays from entering the thermoelectric conversion element 203 after reflection or refraction.

[0056] See Figure 2 In some embodiments, the first pipe segment 2021, the second pipe segment 2022, and the third pipe segment 2023 of the first heat transfer element 202 can all be straight pipe segments, which are connected by elbows. In some embodiments, the first pipe segment 2021 of each first heat transfer element 202 extends through a corresponding fuel channel 20110 and the shield 204 to the top of the shield 204, and the first pipe segment 2021 is located radially inside the annular structure.

[0057] See Figure 4In some embodiments, the second heat transfer element 10 may include a first pipe segment 101, a second pipe segment 102, and a third pipe segment 103 thermally connected to the radiating structure 20. The radiating structure 20 is disposed in the third pipe segment 103. The first pipe segment 101 is disposed radially inside the radial reflective layer 2012 and thermally contacts the block fuel 2011, extending upward into the shield 204; the second pipe segment 102 is disposed within the shield 204, extending upward from the upper end of the first pipe segment 101 along the radial direction of the shield 204 to the lower end of the third pipe segment 103; the upper end of the third pipe segment 103 extends above the shield 204, and the lower end of the third pipe segment 103 extends into the shield 204 to connect with the second pipe segment 102. In such an embodiment, the third tube segment 103 of the second heat transfer element 10 can be made as far away from the axis of the core 201 as possible, thereby increasing the diameter of the annular structure formed by the radiation structure 20 and thus increasing the heat dissipation area of ​​the radiation structure 20.

[0058] Embodiments of this application also provide a lunar stack 200, which includes the waste heat removal system 100 provided in any embodiment of this application. The lunar stack 200 is, for example, a heat pipe type lunar stack or a loop type lunar stack.

[0059] The working process of the lunar stack 200 provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0060] After the lunar stack 200 is successfully deployed on the lunar surface 300, the position of the safety rod (not shown in the figure) is adjusted by the safety rod drive mechanism (not shown in the figure) until the entire lunar stack 200 reaches the rated power stable operation state.

[0061] When the lunar reactor 200 is operating normally, the temperature of the bulk fuel 2011 is 800°C, and the temperature of the sodium heat pipe 202 is 780°C. The sodium heat pipe 202 transfers heat from the reactor core 201 to the Stirling generator 203, thereby generating electricity. At this time, because the minimum start-up temperature of the lithium heat pipe 10 is higher than the temperature of the bulk fuel 2011, the lithium heat pipe 10 does not dissipate heat from the reactor core, and therefore does not cause a decrease in the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the lunar reactor 200.

[0062] When the lunar reactor 200 experiences an accident and shuts down, in the worst-case scenario, such as when all Stirling generators 203 are damaged and the sodium heat pipe 202 can no longer remove heat from the reactor core 201, the temperature of the lumpy fuel 2011 will rise due to the presence of residual heat in the reactor core 201 (such as the decay heat of fission products). When the temperature of the lumpy fuel 2011 rises to the minimum start-up temperature of the lithium heat pipe 10, the lithium heat pipe 10 begins to transfer heat, replacing the sodium heat pipe 202 to remove heat from the reactor core 201 and radiating the heat to the external environment through the heat dissipation fins 20, thereby protecting the reactor core 201 and preventing it from melting down due to the continued rise in the temperature of the lumpy fuel 2011.

[0063] Regarding the embodiments of this application, it should also be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments of this application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other to obtain new embodiments.

[0064] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. The scope of protection of this application shall be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A waste heat removal system suitable for a lunar reactor, the lunar reactor comprising a reactor core, a first heat transfer element, and a thermoelectric conversion element disposed outside the reactor core, wherein, The reactor core is used to provide heat, and the first heat transfer element is used to conduct the heat of the reactor core to the thermoelectric conversion element, which is used to convert the heat of the reactor core into electrical energy. The waste heat removal system is characterized in that it comprises: The second heat transfer element is used to conduct the heat of the core to the outside of the core; A radiating structure is thermally connected to the second heat transfer element to radiate the heat conducted by the second heat transfer element to the external environment. The second heat transfer element is configured such that: when the lunar reactor is operating normally, the second heat transfer element does not start; when the lunar reactor experiences an accident, as the core temperature rises, the second heat transfer element is passively activated to conduct the heat from the core to the radiative structure. The lunar stack also includes: A shielding body is disposed between the core and the thermoelectric conversion element to provide shielding for the thermoelectric conversion element; The second heat transfer element passes through the shield; The radiating structure is thermally connected to the second heat transfer element above the shield; The number of the second heat transfer elements is multiple, and each second heat transfer element is distributed near the radial outer edge of the shield. The pipe segments of each of the second heat transfer elements located above the shield and the radiating structures connected to each of the second heat transfer elements together form a ring structure.

2. The waste heat removal system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second heat transfer element is a heat pipe, and the minimum start-up temperature of the second heat transfer element is higher than the core temperature of the lunar reactor during normal operation.

3. The waste heat removal system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first heat transfer element is a heat pipe; The minimum start-up temperature of the second heat transfer element is higher than that of the first heat transfer element.

4. The waste heat removal system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first heat transfer element is a coolant circuit.

5. The waste heat removal system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The core includes: The fuel is in the form of a block, which forms a plurality of fuel channels. The number of first heat transfer elements is multiple, and each first heat transfer element extends through a corresponding fuel channel to the outside of the reactor core. There are multiple second heat transfer elements, and each second heat transfer element is in thermal contact with the block fuel.

6. The waste heat removal system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second heat transfer element is in thermal contact with the block fuel on the radially outer side of the block fuel.

7. The waste heat removal system according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: Multiple heat-conducting elements, each of the second heat transfer elements being in thermal contact with the block fuel through a corresponding heat-conducting element; The surface of the heat-conducting element facing the second heat transfer element and the surface facing the block fuel are respectively adapted to the shapes of the second heat transfer element and the block fuel.

8. The waste heat removal system according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: A heat insulation element, wherein the block fuel and the second heat transfer element are disposed radially inside the heat insulation element, for reducing heat loss along the radial direction of the reactor core.

9. The waste heat removal system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The reactor core also includes a radial reflective layer disposed on the radially outer side of the block fuel, and the heat insulation element is located on the radially inner side of the radial reflective layer.

10. The waste heat removal system according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are multiple first heat transfer elements, and each first heat transfer element is distributed in the middle of the shield.

11. The waste heat removal system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first heat transfer element includes a first pipe section, a second pipe section, and a third pipe section that is thermally connected to the thermoelectric conversion element; The first heat transfer element extends from the core to above the shield and is located radially inside the annular structure; the third tube segment is located radially outside the radiating structure and is higher than the radiating structure; the second tube segment extends radially outward and upward from the upper end of the first tube segment to the lower end of the third tube segment.

12. A lunar stack, characterized in that, Includes the waste heat removal system according to any one of claims 1-11.

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