Casting mold for uranium-zirconium alloy solid columnar fuel core

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of casting molds, and provides a uranium-zirconium alloy solid columnar fuel core casting mold which comprises a crucible and a mold body arranged at the bottom of the crucible, an open pouring cup is arranged at the top of the mold body, a through hole is formed in the center of the pouring cup, and a center runner and a plurality of forming mold cavities are arranged in an inner cavity of the mold body. The center runner and the forming die cavity are vertically arranged on the whole, and the top of the center runner communicates with the through hole; the bottom of the mold is provided with an expanded base, the expanded base and the mold are integrally arranged, the inner diameter of the expanded base is larger than that of the mold, a plurality of forming mold cavities are uniformly arranged between the pouring cup and the expanded base, and the top ends of the forming mold cavities are arranged on the bottom surface of the pouring cup and are not communicated with the pouring cup; the bottom end of the forming die cavity is arranged on the top face of the expanded base and communicates with the expanded base. The preparation method can be used for preparing the small-size uranium-zirconium alloy solid columnar fuel core with uniform and accurate components and good surface and internal quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of casting mold technology, and more specifically, to a casting mold for a solid cylindrical fuel core made of uranium-zirconium alloy. Background Technology

[0002] Uranium-zirconium metal fuel is one of the candidate fuels for fast neutron reactors. It has high density of heavy nuclei, no moderator elements, high breeding ratio, high thermal conductivity, hard neutron spectrum, and high safety and reliability, which can achieve the goal of high burnup. At the same time, uranium-zirconium alloy can achieve dry reprocessing and closed-loop circulation, which is environmentally friendly.

[0003] Abroad, the main method used is injection casting to prepare solid cylindrical fuel cores of uranium-zirconium alloy. However, there is currently no smelting and casting method or mold in China specifically for directly preparing small-sized solid cylindrical fuel cores of uranium-zirconium alloy. Therefore, relevant research is urgently needed. Based on a large number of process experiments, this invention proposes a mold suitable for preparing small batches of solid cylindrical fuel cores of uranium-zirconium alloy. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a casting mold for solid cylindrical fuel cores of uranium-zirconium alloy, which can produce small-sized solid cylindrical fuel cores of uranium-zirconium alloy with uniform and accurate composition and good surface and internal quality.

[0005] The embodiments of this utility model are achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] A casting mold for a solid cylindrical fuel core made of uranium-zirconium alloy includes a crucible and a mold disposed at the bottom of the crucible.

[0007] The mold has an open pouring cup at the top, and the pouring cup has a through hole in the center.

[0008] The mold has a central flow channel and multiple forming cavities in its inner cavity. The central flow channel and the forming cavities are both vertically arranged, and the top of the central flow channel is connected to the through hole.

[0009] The bottom of the mold has an expanded base, which is integrally formed with the mold. The inner diameter of the expanded base is larger than the inner diameter of the mold.

[0010] Multiple molding cavities are evenly disposed between the pouring cup and the expanding base, and the top end of the molding cavity is disposed on the bottom surface of the pouring cup and is not connected to the pouring cup; the bottom end of the molding cavity is disposed on the top surface of the expanding base and is connected to the expanding base.

[0011] Furthermore, the inner cavity of the mold is provided with a partition plate, which divides the inner cavity of the mold into the central flow channel and multiple forming mold cavities; the partition plate is provided with a through-hole connecting the central flow channel and the forming mold cavities, so that the high-temperature uranium-zirconium alloy liquid can enter the forming mold cavity from the central flow channel through the through-hole.

[0012] Furthermore, the plurality of molding cavities are evenly arranged around the central flow channel.

[0013] Furthermore, the forming cavity is symmetrically distributed around the central flow channel of the mold.

[0014] Furthermore, the upper end of the partition plate is connected to the upper side of the mold cavity; the lower end of the partition plate forms the opening between the partition plate and the bottom of the mold cavity.

[0015] Furthermore, the lower end of the partition plate is not connected to the bottom of the mold cavity, and a certain gap is left, which forms the opening.

[0016] Furthermore, the lower end of the partition plate is connected to the bottom of the mold cavity, and the opening is located at the lower part of the partition plate near the bottom of the mold cavity.

[0017] Furthermore, the expanding base and the inner cavity of the mold are arranged along the same center line.

[0018] Furthermore, the plurality of forming cavities are evenly disposed between the pouring cup and the expanding base, and the top end of the forming cavity is disposed on the bottom surface of the pouring cup and is not connected to the pouring cup; the bottom end of the forming cavity is disposed on the top surface of the expanding base and is connected to the expanding base.

[0019] Furthermore, a bottom plug is provided at the bottom of the crucible, and the diameter of the bottom plug is in the range of 10-15 mm.

[0020] Furthermore, both the bottom plug and the mold are made of graphite.

[0021] The technical solution of this utility model embodiment has at least the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0022] In use, this invention involves pouring the high-temperature uranium-zirconium alloy molten material obtained from smelting into a graphite crucible. The molten alloy is then cast using a bottom-pouring method. A bottom-pouring plug is fitted at the bottom of the graphite crucible, and a mold is placed below the plug. The high-temperature uranium-zirconium alloy molten material flows from top to bottom into the central channel of the mold through the top opening, and then flows into the forming cavity. The molten alloy flows from bottom to top within the forming cavity, completely filling it. Finally, the material is removed from the furnace and demolded (simply by breaking open the graphite mold), yielding a solid cylindrical fuel core of uranium-zirconium alloy. This invention eliminates the need for intermediate alloy preparation and secondary smelting, significantly reducing working time. Furthermore, the compositional uniformity, accuracy, surface and internal quality of the core meet the core's technical requirements, making it suitable for small-batch production of solid cylindrical fuel cores of uranium-zirconium alloy. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 A cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the uranium-zirconium alloy solid cylindrical fuel core casting mold provided in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the uranium-zirconium alloy solid cylindrical fuel core casting mold provided in Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0026] Icons: 1-Crucible, 2-Bottom plug, 3-Pouring cup, 31-Through hole, 4-Mold, 41-Central runner, 42-Molding cavity, 5-Expanding base. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this utility model described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0028] Example 1

[0029] A solid cylindrical fuel core casting mold of uranium-zirconium alloy includes a crucible 1 and a mold 4 set at the bottom of the crucible 1. The top of the mold 4 is open. The diameter of the forming cavity 42 ranges from 8 to 15 mm and the height does not exceed 200 mm.

[0030] The mold 4 has an open pouring cup 3 at its top, and the pouring cup 3 has a through hole 31 in its center.

[0031] The inner cavity of the mold 4 is provided with a partition plate, which divides the inner cavity of the mold 4 into a central flow channel 41 and multiple forming mold cavities 42. The central flow channel 41 and the forming mold cavities 42 are both arranged vertically, and the top of the central flow channel 41 is connected to the through hole 31.

[0032] The partition plate is provided with an opening connecting the central flow channel 41 and the molding cavity 42, so that the high-temperature uranium-zirconium alloy liquid enters the molding cavity 42 through the central flow channel 41.

[0033] Working Principle: This invention uses uranium ingots and sponge zirconium as raw materials, and directly melts and alloys them in a graphite crucible 1 using a vacuum induction furnace. Casting is performed via bottom pouring from the bottom of the graphite crucible 1. A bottom pouring plug 2 is installed at the bottom of the graphite crucible 1, and a mold 4 is placed below the bottom pouring plug 2. The high-temperature uranium-zirconium alloy liquid enters the central flow channel 41 of the mold 4 from top to bottom through the top opening of the mold 4, and then flows into the forming cavity 42 through the opening. The high-temperature uranium-zirconium alloy liquid then flows from bottom to top in the forming cavity 42, completely filling it. Finally, after demolding (simply by breaking open the graphite mold 4), a solid cylindrical fuel core of uranium-zirconium alloy is obtained. It should be noted that all forming cavities 42 are cylindrical structures.

[0034] This invention directly incorporates uranium and zirconium elements in the form of metallic uranium ingots and sponge zirconium, achieving alloying through vacuum induction melting. Then, a solid columnar core of uranium-zirconium alloy is prepared by bottom-pouring casting. This preparation method and the mold 4 used for preparation do not require the preparation of intermediate alloys and secondary melting, greatly shortening the working time. At the same time, the compositional uniformity, accuracy, surface and internal quality of the core meet the core technical requirements, and it can be used for the small-batch preparation of solid columnar fuel cores of uranium-zirconium alloy.

[0035] In this embodiment, the molding cavity 42 is arranged around the central flow channel 41; this facilitates better flow of the high-temperature uranium-zirconium alloy liquid and forms a uniform and high-quality core within the molding cavity 42.

[0036] In this embodiment, the upper end of the partition plate is connected to the upper side of the inner cavity of the mold 4; the lower end of the partition plate forms the opening between the lower end of the partition plate and the bottom of the inner cavity of the mold 4; this better meets the shape requirements of the required core and can ensure the normal flow of the high-temperature uranium-zirconium alloy liquid, ensuring the stable molding of the core.

[0037] In this embodiment, the lower end of the partition plate is not connected to the bottom of the inner cavity of the mold 4, and a certain gap is left, which forms the opening; Alternatively, in other embodiments, the lower end of the partition plate is connected to the bottom of the inner cavity of the mold 4, and the opening is located at the lower part of the partition plate near the bottom of the inner cavity of the mold 4.

[0038] In this embodiment, the bottom of the inner cavity of the mold 4 has an expanding base 5, which is integrally formed with the inner cavity of the mold 4. The inner diameter of the expanding base 5 is larger than the inner diameter of the inner cavity of the mold 4, and the expanding base 5 and the inner cavity of the mold 4 are arranged along the same center line. The bottom of the central flow channel 41 and the bottom of the forming cavity 42 are both connected to the expanding base 5. In this way, the high-temperature uranium-zirconium alloy liquid first enters the expanding base 5 through the central flow channel 41, and then flows upward from the expanding base 5 to the forming cavity 42, where the required core is finally formed.

[0039] In this embodiment, a bottom plug 2 is provided at the bottom of the crucible 1, and the diameter of the bottom plug 2 is in the range of 10 to 15 mm.

[0040] In this embodiment, both the bottom plug 2 and the mold 4 are made of graphite.

[0041] Example 2

[0042] The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 lies in the distribution of the molding cavities 42. Instead of using a partition plate to divide the inner cavity of the mold 4 into a central flow channel 41 and multiple molding cavities 42, independent central flow channels 41 and multiple molding cavities 42 are arranged longitudinally. Furthermore, each molding cavity 42 is a multiple independent cylindrical cavity, evenly distributed between the pouring cup 3 and the expanding base 5. The top of each molding cavity 42 is located on the bottom surface of the pouring cup 3 and is not connected to it; the bottom of each molding cavity 42 is located on the top surface of the expanding base 5 and is connected to it.

[0043] In this way, during use, the high-temperature uranium-zirconium alloy liquid flows into the pouring cup 3 and then into the central flow channel 41 through the through hole 31 in the center of the pouring cup 3. It then enters the bottom expansion base 5 through the central flow channel 41 and then flows upward synchronously from the expansion base 5 to multiple molding cavities 42, where the required core is finally formed.

[0044] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A casting mold for a solid cylindrical fuel core made of uranium-zirconium alloy, characterized in that, Includes a crucible and a mold located at the bottom of the crucible. The mold has an open pouring cup at the top, and the pouring cup has a through hole in the center. The mold has a central flow channel and multiple forming cavities in its inner cavity. The central flow channel and the forming cavities are both vertically arranged, and the top of the central flow channel is connected to the through hole. The bottom of the mold has an expanding base, which is integrally formed with the mold, and the inner diameter of the expanding base is larger than the inner diameter of the mold; a plurality of forming cavities are evenly arranged between the pouring cup and the expanding base, and the top of the forming cavity is located on the bottom surface of the pouring cup and is not connected to the pouring cup; the bottom of the forming cavity is located on the top surface of the expanding base and is connected to the inner cavity of the expanding base.

2. The uranium-zirconium alloy solid cylindrical fuel core casting mold according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mold cavity is provided with a partition plate, which divides the mold cavity into the central flow channel and multiple forming mold cavities; the partition plate is provided with a through-hole connecting the central flow channel and the forming mold cavities, so that the high-temperature uranium-zirconium alloy liquid enters the forming mold cavity from the central flow channel through the through-hole.

3. The uranium-zirconium alloy solid cylindrical fuel core casting mold according to claim 2, characterized in that, Multiple molding cavities are evenly arranged around the central flow channel.

4. The uranium-zirconium alloy solid cylindrical fuel core casting mold according to claim 3, characterized in that, The forming cavity is symmetrically distributed around the central flow channel of the mold.

5. The uranium-zirconium alloy solid cylindrical fuel core casting mold according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper end of the partition plate is connected to the upper side of the mold cavity; the lower end of the partition plate forms the opening between the mold cavity and the bottom of the mold cavity.

6. The uranium-zirconium alloy solid cylindrical fuel core casting mold according to claim 5, characterized in that, The lower end of the partition plate is not connected to the bottom of the mold cavity and a certain gap is left, which forms the opening.

7. The uranium-zirconium alloy solid cylindrical fuel core casting mold according to claim 5, characterized in that, The lower end of the partition plate is connected to the bottom of the mold cavity, and the opening is located at the lower part of the partition plate near the bottom of the mold cavity.

8. The uranium-zirconium alloy solid cylindrical fuel core casting mold according to claim 1, characterized in that, The expansion base is aligned with the center line of the mold cavity.

9. The uranium-zirconium alloy solid cylindrical fuel core casting mold according to claim 8, characterized in that, Multiple molding cavities are evenly disposed between the pouring cup and the expanding base, and the top end of the molding cavity is disposed on the bottom surface of the pouring cup and is not connected to the pouring cup; the bottom end of the molding cavity is disposed on the top surface of the expanding base and is connected to the expanding base.

10. The uranium-zirconium alloy solid cylindrical fuel core casting mold according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the crucible is provided with a bottom plug, the diameter of which is 10-15 mm.

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