A space environmental gas cooled reactor stirling engine device

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of nuclear reactor engineering technology and discloses a Stirling engine device for a space environment gas-cooled reactor, comprising: a casing defining an internal cavity; and an insulating baffle disposed within the cavity and dividing it into an inner chamber, an outer chamber, a connecting chamber, and a crankshaft chamber. The inner chamber contains a reactor heat source, a gas distribution piston, and a power piston arranged sequentially at intervals. The outer chamber contains a regenerator and a cooler arranged adjacent to each other. By integrating the reactor heat source within the Stirling engine casing, the reactor heat transfer system is eliminated, eliminating the need for heat pipes or other heat transfer circuits. Simultaneously, the rotating crankshaft drives a self-sustaining cooling device, passively operating to propel the cooling medium from the cooler into a droplet generator, where it is transformed into fine droplets. During droplet flight, the droplets radiate heat to the space environment and then return to the cooler. This simplifies the structure, reduces the overall size and weight of the engine, and makes it suitable for various applications requiring continuous and reliable power output, such as deep space exploration.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of nuclear reactor engineering technology, and in particular to a Stirling engine device for a space environment gas-cooled reactor. Background Technology

[0002] As a highly efficient energy conversion system, the Stirling engine is widely used in the design and application of power systems for space nuclear reactors.

[0003] In space reactor power supplies, the heat exchange medium between the reactor and the free-piston Stirling engine is generally liquid metal or heat pipe heat transfer, which has problems such as complex loop design and numerous heat dissipation components, resulting in an increase in the overall system weight.

[0004] In view of this, how to provide a Stirling engine with a simplified structure and reduced weight is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a Stirling engine device for a space environment gas-cooled reactor to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a Stirling engine device for a space environment gas-cooled reactor, comprising:

[0007] The shell defines an internal cavity;

[0008] An insulating partition is disposed within the receiving cavity and divides it into an inner chamber, an outer chamber, a connecting chamber, and a crankshaft chamber. The connecting chamber is located near one end of the shell, and the crankshaft chamber is located near the other end of the shell. The inner and outer chambers are located between the connecting chamber and the crankshaft chamber, and both the inner and outer chambers communicate with the connecting chamber. A reactor heat source, a gas distribution piston, and a power piston are arranged sequentially and at intervals in the inner chamber, with the reactor heat source located near the connecting chamber. A regenerator and a cooler are arranged adjacent to each other in the outer chamber, with the regenerator located near the connecting chamber. A compression chamber is formed between the gas distribution piston and the power piston. The insulating partition has a connecting hole corresponding to the compression chamber, with one end of the connecting hole communicating with the compression chamber and the other end communicating with the cooler.

[0009] A rotating crankshaft is disposed in the crankshaft chamber and is connected to the power generation device for transmission; the valve piston is connected to the rotating crankshaft through a first piston connecting rod, and the power piston is connected to the rotating crankshaft through a second piston connecting rod. The valve piston and the power piston are used to drive the rotating crankshaft to reciprocate and rotate and drive the power generation device to generate electricity.

[0010] Furthermore, it also includes:

[0011] The self-supporting heat dissipation device has a cooling heat exchange channel defined inside the cooler. The self-supporting heat dissipation device is connected to both ends of the cooling heat exchange channel to form a heat dissipation circuit, and a heat dissipation medium flows in the heat dissipation circuit.

[0012] A circulating drive mechanism is connected to the rotating crankshaft. When the rotating crankshaft reciprocates, the circulating drive mechanism drives the heat dissipation medium to circulate in the heat dissipation circuit and cools the heat dissipation medium.

[0013] Furthermore, the self-supporting heat dissipation device includes:

[0014] One end of the liquid outlet pipeline is connected to the liquid outlet end of the cooling heat exchange channel, and the other end is connected to the droplet generator;

[0015] The liquid collector is used to collect the droplet-state heat dissipation medium from the droplet generator. The liquid collector is connected to the circulation drive mechanism, which is connected to the liquid inlet of the cooling heat exchange channel.

[0016] Furthermore, the cyclic drive mechanism includes:

[0017] The liquid storage chamber is connected to the liquid inlet end of the cooling heat exchange channel via a liquid inlet pipeline, and a first one-way valve is installed on the liquid inlet pipeline. The liquid storage chamber is connected to the liquid collector via a liquid return pipeline, and a second one-way valve is installed on the liquid return pipeline.

[0018] The hydraulic piston has a dynamic seal located within the liquid storage chamber.

[0019] The third piston rod is connected at one end to the hydraulic piston and at the other end to the rotating crankshaft. When the rotating crankshaft rotates in the forward direction, the third piston rod pushes the hydraulic piston inward, the first one-way valve opens and the second one-way valve closes, and the heat dissipation medium flows from the reservoir chamber to the inlet line. When the rotating crankshaft rotates in the reverse direction, the third piston rod pulls the hydraulic piston outward, the first one-way valve closes and the second one-way valve opens, and the heat dissipation medium flows from the return line to the reservoir chamber.

[0020] Furthermore, the droplet generator has multiple outlets arranged in an array, and the diameter of the droplet-like heat dissipation medium is 80-120 μm.

[0021] Furthermore, the cooler has an annular structure and is provided with slit fins.

[0022] Furthermore, there is an air seal between the gas distribution piston and the heat insulation partition, and an air seal between the power piston and the heat insulation partition.

[0023] Furthermore, the reactor heat source consists of multiple annular plate-shaped fuel blocks.

[0024] The present invention discloses the following technical effects:

[0025] 1. This invention integrates the reactor heat source into the casing of the Stirling engine, which directly eliminates the reactor heat transfer system compared with the prior art. It eliminates the need to set up heat transfer loops such as heat pipes, thereby simplifying the structure, reducing the overall size and weight of the engine, and making it suitable for various application scenarios that require continuous and reliable power output, such as deep space exploration.

[0026] 2. This invention employs a self-sustaining cooling device, utilizing the characteristic of the Stirling engine's own piston reciprocating motion driving a rotating crankshaft to generate electricity. By connecting the piston connecting rod to the rotating crankshaft, the self-sustaining cooling device is passively operated, driving the cooling medium from the cooler into a droplet generator, where it is transformed into fine droplets. During their flight, the droplets radiate heat to the space environment and then flow back to the cooler after cooling. Compared with existing technologies, this cooling device eliminates the need for an electrically driven pump, further simplifying the structure and reducing the overall size and weight of the engine.

[0027] 3. This invention connects the reactor heat source and the regenerator via a connecting chamber. During the isothermal expansion to isochoric cooling process, the gaseous cooling medium flowing through the reactor heat source is fully stirred within the connecting chamber, and its temperature decreases as it passes through the regenerator. During the isochoric exothermic to isothermal expansion process, the gaseous cooling medium's temperature increases as it passes through the regenerator, and it enters the reactor heat source after being fully stirred within the connecting chamber. Compared to existing technologies, the connecting chamber allows for stirring of the gaseous cooling medium to enhance its temperature uniformity, eliminating the need for a separate stirring device and further simplifying the overall device structure. Attached Figure Description

[0028] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cooler structure;

[0031] The components are as follows: 1. Shell; 101. Inner chamber; 102. Outer chamber; 103. Connecting chamber; 104. Crankshaft chamber; 2. Insulating partition; 3. Reactor heat source; 4. Regenerator; 5. Expansion chamber; 6. Gas distribution piston; 7. Connecting hole; 8. Compression chamber; 9. Power piston; 10. Cooler; 11. First piston connecting rod; 12. Second piston connecting rod; 13. Rotating crankshaft; 14. Power generation device; 15. Cooling heat exchange channel; 16. Liquid outlet line; 17. Droplet generator; 18. Liquid layer; 19. Liquid inlet line; 20. Third piston connecting rod; 21. Hydraulic piston; 22. Liquid storage chamber; 23. First check valve; 24. Second check valve; 25. Liquid collector; 26. Return line. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0034] like Figure 1-2 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a Stirling engine device for a gas-cooled reactor in a space environment, comprising:

[0035] Shell 1, with an internally defined receiving cavity;

[0036] An insulating partition 2 is disposed within the receiving cavity and divides it into an inner chamber 101, an outer chamber 102, a connecting chamber 103, and a crankshaft chamber 104. The connecting chamber 103 is disposed at one end near the housing 1, and the crankshaft chamber 104 is disposed at the other end near the housing 1. The inner chamber 101 and the outer chamber 102 are located between the connecting chamber 103 and the crankshaft chamber 104, and both the inner chamber 101 and the outer chamber 102 communicate with the connecting chamber 103. The inner chamber 101 contains sequentially spaced... There is a reactor heat source 3, a gas distribution piston 6 and a power piston 9. The reactor heat source 3 is close to the connecting chamber 103. A regenerator 4 and a cooler 10 are arranged adjacent to each other in the outer chamber 102. The regenerator 4 is close to the connecting chamber 103. An expansion chamber 5 is formed between the reactor heat source 3 and the gas distribution piston 6. A compression chamber 8 is formed between the gas distribution piston 6 and the power piston 9. The heat insulation partition 2 has a connection hole 7 corresponding to the compression chamber 8. One end of the connection hole 7 is connected to the compression chamber 8 and the other end is connected to the cooler 10.

[0037] A rotating crankshaft 13 is disposed in a crankshaft chamber 104 and is connected to the power generation device 14 via a transmission. A valve piston 6 is connected to the rotating crankshaft 13 via a first piston connecting rod 11, and a power piston 9 is connected to the rotating crankshaft 13 via a second piston connecting rod 12. The valve piston 6 and the power piston 9 are used to drive the rotating crankshaft 13 to reciprocate and drive the power generation device 14 to generate electricity.

[0038] In this embodiment, it also includes:

[0039] The self-sustaining heat dissipation device has a cooling heat exchange channel 15 defined inside the cooler 10. The two ends of the self-sustaining heat dissipation device and the cooling heat exchange channel 15 are connected to form a heat dissipation circuit, and a heat dissipation medium flows in the heat dissipation circuit.

[0040] The circulating drive mechanism is connected to the rotating crankshaft 13. When the rotating crankshaft 13 reciprocates, the circulating drive mechanism drives the heat dissipation medium to circulate in the heat dissipation circuit and cools the heat dissipation medium.

[0041] In this embodiment, the heat dissipation medium needs to meet the properties of low vapor pressure, low viscosity, high emissivity, low absorptivity, low density, high surface tension, high specific heat capacity, and high thermal conductivity.

[0042] In this embodiment, the self-supporting heat dissipation device includes:

[0043] One end of the liquid outlet line 16 is connected to the liquid outlet end of the cooling heat exchange channel 15, and the other end is connected to the droplet generator 17.

[0044] The liquid collector 25 and the droplet generator 17 convert the heat dissipation medium into droplet state. The outlet of the liquid collector 25, corresponding to the droplet generator 17, is used to collect the heat dissipation medium in droplet state. The liquid collector 25 is connected to the circulation drive mechanism, which is connected to the liquid inlet end of the cooling heat exchange channel 15.

[0045] In this embodiment, the cyclic drive mechanism includes:

[0046] The liquid storage chamber 22 is connected to the liquid inlet end of the cooling heat exchange channel 15 through the liquid inlet pipeline 19. A first one-way valve 23 is installed on the liquid inlet pipeline 19. The liquid storage chamber 22 is connected to the liquid collector 25 through the liquid return pipeline 26. A second one-way valve 24 is installed on the liquid return pipeline 26.

[0047] The hydraulic piston 21 has a dynamic seal located in the liquid storage chamber 22.

[0048] The third piston rod 20 is connected at one end to the hydraulic piston 21 and at the other end to the rotating crankshaft 13. When the rotating crankshaft 13 rotates in the forward direction, the third piston rod 20 pushes the hydraulic piston 21 inward, the first one-way valve 23 opens and the second one-way valve 24 closes, and the heat dissipation medium flows from the reservoir chamber 22 to the inlet line 19. When the rotating crankshaft 13 rotates in the reverse direction, the third piston rod 20 pulls the hydraulic piston 21 outward, the first one-way valve 23 closes and the second one-way valve 24 opens, and the heat dissipation medium flows from the return line 26 to the reservoir chamber 22.

[0049] In this embodiment, the droplet generator 17 has multiple outlets arranged in an array, and the diameter of the droplet-like heat dissipation medium is about 100 μm.

[0050] In this embodiment, the cooler 10 is an annular structure, including an inner ring structure and an outer ring structure that are spliced ​​together. The inner ring structure and the outer ring structure are slotted and spliced ​​together to form a cooling heat exchange channel 15. The cooler 10 is provided with slit fins.

[0051] In this embodiment, the gas distribution piston 6 and the heat insulation partition 2 are air-sealed, and the power piston 9 and the heat insulation partition 2 are air-sealed, which is used to reduce the frictional resistance between the gas distribution piston 6, the power piston 9 and the heat insulation partition 2.

[0052] In this embodiment, the reactor heat source 3 is composed of multiple annular plate-shaped fuel blocks, and the above-mentioned self-sustaining heat dissipation device can be set in one or more sets according to the system heat dissipation power requirements.

[0053] The specific work process is as follows:

[0054] Helium gas is used as both the cooling and thermodynamic working fluid for the reactor heat source 3 within the Stirling generator's casing. It coordinates the reciprocating motion of the valve train piston 6 and the power piston 9 during endothermic expansion and cooling compression. When a temperature difference exists between the hot and cold ends of the Stirling engine, the valve train piston 6 and the power piston 9 passively move at a certain phase angle. The valve train piston 6 and the power piston 9, respectively, drive the rotating crankshaft 13 to rotate via the first piston connecting rod 11 and the second piston connecting rod 12, thereby causing the rotating crankshaft 13 to reciprocate. The rotating crankshaft 13 then drives the power generation device 14 to generate electricity. The above working process is based on the existing working principle of Stirling generators and will not be elaborated further.

[0055] During the reciprocating rotation of the crankshaft 13, the third piston rod 20 can be driven to reciprocate within the liquid storage chamber 22. When the crankshaft 13 rotates in the forward direction, the third piston rod 20 pushes the hydraulic piston 21 inward, the first one-way valve 23 opens, and the second one-way valve 24 closes. The heat dissipation medium flows from the liquid storage chamber 22 to the inlet line 19, enters the cooler 10 through the inlet line 19, and carries away heat. The heated cooling medium enters the droplet generator 17 through the outlet line 16 and becomes fine droplets. As the droplets fly towards the collector 25, they form a liquid layer 18 and radiate heat to the space environment. Finally, the collector 25 collects the cooled medium. When the crankshaft 13 rotates in the reverse direction, the third piston rod 20 pulls the hydraulic piston 21 outward, the first one-way valve 23 closes, and the second one-way valve 24 opens. The heat dissipation medium enters the return line 26 from the collector 25 and flows back to the liquid storage chamber 22 through the return line 26, completing the circulation of the heat dissipation medium.

[0056] The entire cooling and circulation of the heat dissipation medium is based on the rotational power of the crankshaft 13, without the need for an additional electric drive pump.

[0057] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this invention, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0058] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A Stirling engine device for a gas-cooled reactor in a space environment, characterized in that, include: The shell (1) defines an internal cavity; An insulating partition (2) is disposed within the receiving cavity and divides it into an inner chamber (101), an outer chamber (102), a connecting chamber (103), and a crankshaft chamber (104). The connecting chamber (103) is disposed near one end of the housing (1), and the crankshaft chamber (104) is disposed near the other end of the housing (1). The inner chamber (101) and the outer chamber (102) are located between the connecting chamber (103) and the crankshaft chamber (104), and both the inner chamber (101) and the outer chamber (102) communicate with the connecting chamber (103). The inner chamber (101) contains... A reactor heat source (3), a gas distribution piston (6), and a power piston (9) are arranged sequentially at intervals. The reactor heat source (3) is close to the connecting chamber (103). A regenerator (4) and a cooler (10) are arranged adjacent to each other in the outer chamber (102). The regenerator (4) is close to the connecting chamber (103). A compression chamber (8) is formed between the gas distribution piston (6) and the power piston (9). The heat insulation partition (2) has a connecting hole (7) corresponding to the compression chamber (8). One end of the connecting hole (7) is connected to the compression chamber (8), and the other end is connected to the cooler (10). A rotating crankshaft (13) is disposed in the crankshaft chamber (104) and is connected to the power generation device (14) in a transmission manner; the valve piston (6) is connected to the rotating crankshaft (13) through the first piston connecting rod (11), and the power piston (9) is connected to the rotating crankshaft (13) through the second piston connecting rod (12). The valve piston (6) and the power piston (9) are used to drive the rotating crankshaft (13) to reciprocate and drive the power generation device (14) to generate electricity.

2. The Stirling engine device for a gas-cooled reactor in a space environment according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The self-sustaining heat dissipation device has a cooling heat exchange channel (15) defined inside the cooler (10). The self-sustaining heat dissipation device is connected to both ends of the cooling heat exchange channel (15) to form a heat dissipation circuit, and a heat dissipation medium flows in the heat dissipation circuit. The circulating drive mechanism is connected to the rotating crankshaft (13). When the rotating crankshaft (13) reciprocates, the circulating drive mechanism drives the heat dissipation medium to circulate in the heat dissipation circuit and cools the heat dissipation medium.

3. The Stirling engine device for a gas-cooled reactor in a space environment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The self-supporting heat dissipation device includes: One end of the liquid outlet pipeline (16) is connected to the liquid outlet end of the cooling heat exchange channel (15), and the other end is connected to the droplet generator (17). The liquid collector (25) is used to collect the liquid-droplet heat dissipation medium from the outlet of the droplet generator (17). The liquid collector (25) is connected to the circulation drive mechanism, which is connected to the liquid inlet of the cooling heat exchange channel (15).

4. A Stirling engine device for a gas-cooled reactor in a space environment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cyclic drive mechanism includes: The liquid storage chamber (22) is connected to the liquid inlet end of the cooling heat exchange channel (15) through the liquid inlet pipeline (19), and the liquid inlet pipeline (19) is provided with a first one-way valve (23). The liquid storage chamber (22) is connected to the liquid collector (25) through the liquid return pipeline (26), and the liquid return pipeline (26) is provided with a second one-way valve (24). The hydraulic piston (21) has a dynamic seal located in the liquid storage chamber (22); The third piston rod (20) is connected at one end to the hydraulic piston (21) and at the other end to the rotating crankshaft (13). When the rotating crankshaft (13) rotates in the forward direction, the third piston rod (20) pushes the hydraulic piston (21) inward, the first check valve (23) opens and the second check valve (24) closes, and the heat dissipation medium flows from the reservoir (22) to the inlet line (19). When the rotating crankshaft (13) rotates in the reverse direction, the third piston rod (20) pulls the hydraulic piston (21) outward, the first check valve (23) closes and the second check valve (24) opens, and the heat dissipation medium flows from the return line (26) to the reservoir (22).

5. A Stirling engine device for a gas-cooled reactor in a space environment according to any one of claims 3, characterized in that, The droplet generator (17) has multiple outlets arranged in an array, and the diameter of the droplet-state heat dissipation medium is 80-120um.

6. A Stirling engine device for a gas-cooled reactor in a space environment according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The cooler (10) has an annular structure and is provided with slit fins.

7. A Stirling engine device for a gas-cooled reactor in a space environment according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The gas distribution piston (6) and the heat insulation partition (2) are air-sealed, and the power piston (9) and the heat insulation partition (2) are air-sealed.

8. A Stirling engine device for a gas-cooled reactor in a space environment according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The reactor heat source (3) consists of multiple annular plate-shaped fuel blocks.

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