Thermionic reactor

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of nuclear reactors, and in particular to a thermionic reactor. The thermionic reactor provided by embodiments of the present application comprises: a thermionic reactor body configured to convert heat generated by the thermionic reactor body into electrical energy; an electromagnetic pump configured to drive circulation of a coolant of the thermionic reactor body; and a start-up power supply configured to drive the electromagnetic pump to drive circulation of the coolant before the thermionic reactor body is operated. Since the start-up power supply is configured to drive the electromagnetic pump before the thermionic reactor body is operated, self-power supply of the electromagnetic pump during the reactor start-up process can be achieved, which does not rely on an external power supply and drives the coolant to flow to take away excess heat of the thermionic reactor body; after the reactor start-up is completed and a normal operation stage is entered, the start-up power supply can continue to supply power to the electromagnetic pump and other system devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this application relate to the application field of nuclear reactors, and particularly to a thermionic reactor. Background Technology

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

[0003] Space reactor power sources utilize nuclear fission reactions to generate heat, which is then converted into electrical energy through a thermoelectric conversion system, providing power for spacecraft and other equipment. Because space reactor power sources must operate in the vacuum and microgravity environment of space, they cannot rely on air or water convection for cooling; therefore, they depend on conduction and radiation for heat dissipation. Typically, waste heat generated by the reactor is transferred to an external radiative heat sink via a circulating pump using liquid metal as a coolant. This waste heat is then dissipated into space through thermal radiation, maintaining the system's stable operation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] 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.

[0005] Embodiments of this application provide a thermionic reactor, comprising: a thermionic reactor body, the thermionic reactor body being configured to convert heat generated by the thermionic reactor body into electrical energy; an electromagnetic pump, the electromagnetic pump being configured to drive the coolant circulation of the thermionic reactor body; and a starting power supply, the starting power supply being configured to drive the electromagnetic pump before the thermionic reactor body is in operation, so that the electromagnetic pump drives the coolant circulation.

[0006] The thermionic reactor provided in the embodiments of this application, by setting up a startup power supply to drive the electromagnetic pump before the thermionic reactor body is running, can realize the self-powered operation of the electromagnetic pump during the reactor startup process, without relying on an external power supply to power the electromagnetic pump, thereby driving the coolant flow to remove excess heat from the thermionic reactor body; after the reactor startup is completed and enters the normal operation stage, the startup power supply can continue to power the electromagnetic pump and other system equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0007] To further illustrate the above and other advantages and features of this application, the specific embodiments of this application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings, together with the following detailed description, are included in and form a part of this specification. Elements having the same function and structure are indicated by the same reference numerals. It should be understood that these drawings only depict typical examples of this application and should not be considered as limiting the scope of this application.

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thermionic reactor provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of a thermionic reactor provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another cross-section of the thermionic reactor provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the nuclear fuel assembly of a thermionic reactor provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thermoelectric generator for a thermionic reactor provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0009] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Thermionic reactor body; 11. Reactor vessel; 12. Reflector layer; 13. Thermionic fuel element; 14. Moderator; 15. Control drum; 2. Electromagnetic pump; 3. Start-up power supply; 31. Nuclear fuel assembly; 311. Solid moderator; 312. Annular nuclear fuel; 313. Start-up power supply vessel; 32. Heat pipe; 321. Evaporator end; 322. Condenser end; 33. Thermoelectric generator; 331. Power generation section; 332. Heat dissipation section; 34. Shielding; 4. Coolant piping; 5. Radiant radiator; 100. Thermionic reactor. Detailed Implementation

[0010] 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.

[0011] 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.

[0012] The following disclosure provides several different implementations or examples for carrying out this application. To simplify the disclosure of this application, specific examples of components and methods are described below. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit this application. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0013] Thermionic fuel elements in a thermionic reactor generate electricity based on the principle of thermionic emission. That is, nuclear fission reaction of fuel in the emitter cavity converts nuclear energy into thermal energy, which heats the emitter. When the emitter temperature exceeds a predetermined limit, the electron energy on its surface increases to the point that it can overcome the metal surface potential barrier and escapes. The escaped electrons reach the receiver through the electrode gap, and after doing work through the external circuit load connected to the emitter and receiver, they return to the emitter, forming an electrical circuit to generate electricity. The unused waste heat is discharged through the coolant outside the receiver.

[0014] In traditional thermionic reactors, before thermionic power generation, the coolant needs to be flowed by an electromagnetic pump to remove residual heat from the reactor core and prevent the core from overheating. However, thermionic fuel elements only produce thermionic emission when their temperature reaches over 1,000 degrees Celsius. Therefore, thermionic fuel elements cannot supply power to the electromagnetic pump while ensuring that the reactor core does not overheat.

[0015] During the startup process of a thermionic reactor, when the reactor itself is unable to generate electricity in its initial low-power state, the pumps used to drive the coolant need to rely on external power to drive the coolant flow and remove the heat from the reactor core. This makes it impossible for the reactor system that uses in-core thermionic energy conversion to operate autonomously, increasing the dependence on external power supply equipment.

[0016] To address the aforementioned problems, embodiments of this application provide a thermionic reactor. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thermionic reactor provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown, the thermionic reactor 100 includes: a thermionic reactor body 1, which is configured to convert the heat generated by the thermionic reactor body 1 into electrical energy; an electromagnetic pump 2, which is configured to drive the coolant circulation of the thermionic reactor body 1; and a starting power supply 3, which is configured to drive the electromagnetic pump 2 before the thermionic reactor body 1 is put into operation, so that the electromagnetic pump 2 drives the coolant circulation.

[0017] The thermionic reactor 100 provided in the embodiments of this application, by setting up a start-up power supply 3 to drive the electromagnetic pump 2 before the thermionic reactor body 1 is running, can realize the self-powered operation of the electromagnetic pump 2 during the reactor start-up process, without relying on an external power source to power the electromagnetic pump 2, thereby driving the coolant flow to remove excess heat from the thermionic reactor body 1; when the reactor enters the normal operation stage after start-up is completed, the start-up power supply 3 can continue to power the electromagnetic pump 2 and other system equipment.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a thermionic reactor provided in an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the starting power supply 3 includes a nuclear fuel assembly 31, a heat pipe 32, and a thermoelectric generator 33. The nuclear fuel assembly 31 is configured to generate heat when the thermion reactor body 1 is running. The heat pipe 32 is configured to dissipate the heat generated by the nuclear fuel assembly 31. The thermoelectric generator 33 is configured to convert the heat dissipated by the heat pipe 32 into electrical energy to drive the electromagnetic pump 2.

[0019] Thermoelectric generator 33 can generate electricity when the temperature reaches several hundred degrees. Setting up thermoelectric generator 33 can supply power to electromagnetic pump 2 earlier than the thermionic fuel elements of the thermionic reactor body 1, so as to remove waste heat in time. At the same time, it can avoid setting up an additional power supply device, reduce the total mass of spacecraft and other equipment used in the thermionic reactor 100, and improve the application efficiency of spacecraft and other equipment. During the startup of the thermionic reactor 100, electromagnetic pump 2 can be not started or operated at low power. As the reactor starts up and gradually increases thermal power, thermoelectric generator 33 supplies power to electromagnetic pump, increases coolant flow rate, and thus improves the ability to remove waste heat, so that the reactor can continue to increase power and gradually reach full power. In this way, the rate at which electromagnetic pump 2 drives coolant flow is matched with the rate at which the thermionic reactor body 1 generates heat, thereby improving the operational stability of the thermionic reactor 100.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another cross-sectional view of the thermionic reactor provided in an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the nuclear fuel assembly 31 includes a solid moderator 311, multiple toroidal nuclear fuels 312, and a start-up power supply container 313. The solid moderator 311 is disposed in the start-up power supply container 313, and the multiple toroidal nuclear fuels 312 are disposed within the solid moderator 311 and are fixedly connected to a heat pipe 32 so that the heat pipe 32 can dissipate the heat generated by the multiple toroidal nuclear fuels 312. This utilizes the passive heat transfer characteristics of the heat pipe 32 to transfer the heat generated by the multiple toroidal nuclear fuels 312, enabling the start-up power supply 313 to operate stably under various operating conditions, unaffected by external power supply.

[0021] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the start-up power container 313 is disposed between the reactor vessel 11 and the reflector layer 12 of the thermionic reactor body 1, and the solid moderator 311 is disposed between the reactor vessel 11 and the start-up power container 313; the thermionic fuel element 13 and the moderator 14 of the thermionic reactor body 1 are disposed inside the reactor vessel 11; and the control drum 15 of the thermionic reactor body 1 is disposed inside the reflector layer 12.

[0022] By placing a solid moderator 311 between the reactor vessel 11 and the reflector layer 12 of the thermionic reactor body 1, and placing multiple annular nuclear fuels 312 within the solid moderator 311, the radial power peak factor of the thermionic fuel element 13 of the thermionic reactor body 1 can be reduced, making the fuel power distribution of the thermionic fuel element 13 more uniform, thereby improving power generation efficiency and increasing electrical power output; and the control drum 15 in the reflector layer 12 can jointly control the reactivity of the thermionic fuel element 13 and the annular nuclear fuel 312, realizing synchronous control of the operation of the electromagnetic pump 2 and the operation of the thermionic reactor body 1.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the nuclear fuel assembly of a thermionic reactor provided in an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the thermionic reactor 100 also includes a shield 34. The evaporation end 321 of the heat pipe 32 is located in the center of the annular nuclear fuel 312. The heat pipe 32 extends through the shield 34, and the condensation end 322 of the heat pipe 32 is fixedly connected to the thermoelectric generator 33. By arranging the heat pipe 32 to extend through the shield 34, the radiation dose received by the thermoelectric generator 33 can be reduced.

[0024] In some embodiments, the heat pipe 32 and the annular nuclear fuel 312 may be fixed by welding to ensure good heat conduction.

[0025] In some embodiments, the heat pipe 32 is configured to be inserted into the through hole formed by the annular nuclear fuel 312, thereby expanding the heat transfer area, improving the heat transfer efficiency, and thus increasing the power generation rate of the thermoelectric generator 33.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thermoelectric generator for a thermionic reactor provided in an embodiment of this application. In some embodiments, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 5As shown, the thermoelectric generator 33 includes a power generation section 331 and a heat dissipation section 332. The power generation section 331 is disposed between the heat dissipation section 332 and the heat pipe 32. The power generation section 331 is configured to convert the heat from the condenser end 322 of the heat pipe 32 into electrical energy and provide the converted electrical energy to the electromagnetic pump 2 so that the electromagnetic pump 2 drives the coolant circulation. The heat dissipation section 332 is configured to discharge the excess heat from the condenser end 322 to the external environment. In this way, the heat generated by the nuclear fuel assembly 31 can be fully used to provide electrical energy to the electromagnetic pump 2, and excess heat can be discharged to avoid local overheating.

[0027] In some embodiments, the condenser end 322 of the heat pipe 32 may be provided with a plurality of thermoelectric generators 33, and the number of thermoelectric generators 33 may be adjusted according to the length of the heat pipe 32 and the size of the thermoelectric generators 33.

[0028] In some embodiments, the power generation unit 331 has a hot end and a cold end, the hot end being connected to the condensation end 322 of the heat pipe 32, and the cold end being connected to the heat dissipation unit 332.

[0029] In some embodiments, the heat dissipation part 332 may be coated with a high emissivity coating, which can enhance the radiative heat dissipation capability of the heat dissipation part 332 and improve the heat dissipation efficiency.

[0030] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the solid moderator 311 has multiple pores, and multiple annular nuclear fuels 312 are disposed in the pores, which can effectively moderate neutrons, improve neutron economy, and reduce nuclear fuel loading.

[0031] In some embodiments, the multiple pores formed by the solid moderator 311 can be radially and uniformly distributed to make the multiple annular nuclear fuels 312 uniformly distributed, thereby improving the symmetry and uniformity of power distribution and temperature distribution.

[0032] In some embodiments, since the solid moderator 311 is close to the multiple annular nuclear fuels 312, it is subjected to higher temperatures and irradiation. The solid moderator 311 can be configured as yttrium hydride, beryllium or beryllium oxide to improve the high temperature stability and radiation resistance of the solid moderator 311.

[0033] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the thermionic reactor 100 also includes a coolant pipeline 4, which is configured to extend through the thermionic reactor body 1 to conduct away excess heat. An electromagnetic pump 2 is installed in the coolant pipeline 4 to control the flow of coolant.

[0034] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1As shown, the thermionic reactor 100 also includes a radiant radiator 5, which is configured to be connected to the coolant pipeline 4 to transfer the heat generated by the thermionic reactor body 1 and discharge the heat to the external environment.

[0035] In some embodiments, the radiant heat sink 5 may be configured as a frustum to match the shielding angle of the shadow shielding of the shield 34.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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 thermionic reactor, characterized in that, It includes: A thermionic reactor body, wherein the thermionic reactor body is configured to convert the heat generated by the thermionic reactor body into electrical energy; An electromagnetic pump configured to drive the circulation of coolant in the thermionic reactor body; A power supply is started, configured to drive the electromagnetic pump before the thermionic reactor body is put into operation, so that the electromagnetic pump drives the coolant circulation.

2. The thermionic reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The starting power source includes nuclear fuel assemblies, heat pipes, and thermoelectric generators. The nuclear fuel assembly is configured to generate heat during the operation of the thermionic reactor body. The heat pipe is configured to dissipate the heat generated by the nuclear fuel assembly. The thermoelectric generator is configured to convert the heat discharged from the heat pipe into electrical energy to drive the electromagnetic pump.

3. The thermionic reactor according to claim 2, characterized in that, The nuclear fuel assembly includes a solid moderator, multiple toroidal nuclear fuels, and a start-up power container. The solid moderator is disposed in the starting power supply container. The plurality of annular nuclear fuels are disposed in the solid moderator and are fixedly connected to the heat pipe so that the heat pipe can dissipate the heat generated by the plurality of annular nuclear fuels.

4. The thermionic reactor according to claim 3, characterized in that, The startup power supply container is located between the reactor vessel of the thermionic reactor body and the reflector layer of the thermionic reactor body. The solid moderator is disposed between the reactor vessel and the start-up power vessel; The thermionic fuel elements of the thermionic reactor body and the moderator of the thermionic reactor body are disposed inside the reactor vessel. The control drum of the thermionic reactor body is located within the reflector layer.

5. The thermionic reactor according to claim 3, characterized in that, The power supply also includes a shield. The evaporation end of the heat pipe is located in the center of the annular nuclear fuel. The heat pipe extends through the shield. The condenser end of the heat pipe is fixedly connected to the thermoelectric generator.

6. The thermionic reactor according to claim 3, characterized in that, The heat pipe and the annular nuclear fuel are fixed together by welding.

7. The thermionic reactor according to claim 2, characterized in that, The thermoelectric power generation device includes a power generation section and a heat dissipation section, wherein the power generation section is disposed between the heat dissipation section and the heat pipe. The power generation unit is configured to convert heat from the condenser end of the heat pipe into electrical energy, and to supply the converted electrical energy to the electromagnetic pump, so that the electromagnetic pump drives the coolant circulation. The heat dissipation section is configured to discharge excess heat from the condenser end to the external environment.

8. The thermionic reactor according to claim 7, characterized in that, The heat dissipation section is configured to be coated with a high emissivity coating.

9. The thermionic reactor according to claim 3, characterized in that, The solid moderator has multiple pores, and the multiple annular nuclear fuels are disposed within the pores.

10. The thermionic reactor according to claim 9, characterized in that, The solid moderator is configured as yttrium hydride, beryllium, or beryllium oxide.

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