Nuclear Debris Filter With Twisted Vanes For Wedging Thin Debris
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional debris filters for nuclear reactors fail to effectively trap thin and short debris, such as wires, and flexible elongated debris, which can pass through and damage fuel rods.
Innovation Solution
The debris filter features plates with debris-catching features like twisted vanes and teeth that protrude into the flow passages, creating tapered spaces and channels to trap debris, and connection strips that maintain spacing between plates to enhance debris capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional smooth plates are used to delimit flow passages, then flow resistance is limited, but thin and flexible debris can pass through the filter
Solution Approach 1:
The plate structure transitions from uniform smooth surfaces to localized regions with debris-catching features. Specifically, certain plates are equipped with protrusions, teeth, or twisted vanes at specific positions along their length, while other plates remain smooth. This local differentiation allows the filter to target specific debris types without unnecessarily complicating the entire plate structure, resolving the contradiction between trapping effectiveness and structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The debris filter is segmented into multiple plates with different configurations rather than using a single uniform plate design. Some plates have debris-catching features while others are smooth, and plates are arranged in alternating patterns. This segmentation allows the system to handle different debris types through different mechanisms, improving overall reliability without requiring each individual plate to be overly complex.
2Reliability
If debris catching features are added to plates, then thin and flexible debris trapping is improved, but flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
Debris-catching features are implemented locally on specific plates rather than on all plates throughout the entire filter. This localized approach ensures that debris trapping functionality is provided where most needed, while maintaining larger open flow areas in other sections, thereby minimizing the overall impact on coolant flow rate while still achieving effective debris removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The debris-catching features incorporate movable or flexible elements such as twisted vanes and protrusions that can deflect or rotate in response to fluid flow and debris impact. This dynamic behavior allows the features to adapt to varying flow conditions, maintaining effective debris interception while reducing resistance to the main coolant flow compared to rigid fixed structures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The improved debris filter effectively traps thin and flexible debris by wedging them in tapered spaces and aligning elongated debris with the flow direction, significantly reducing the risk of damage to fuel rods.
Implementation Method 1
The improved debris filter effectively traps thin and flexible debris by wedging them in tapered spaces
Implementation Method 2
aligning elongated debris with the flow direction
Data Source
AI summary
A debris filter for a nuclear reactor installation is provided. The debris filter comprises a plurality of plates arranged side-by-side in a spaced relationship and delimiting between them flow passages extending through the debris filter from a lower inlet face to an upper outlet face of the debris filter, each passage having an intermediate section offset with respect to an inlet section and an outlet section. At least one of the plates is formed with debris catching features distributed along the plate and protruding into at least one passage delimited by the plate.