Group Pneumatic Lifting for Pebble-Bed Reactor Fuel Cycling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current pebble-bed reactor systems have limited fuel cycling capability and efficiency due to the sequential pneumatics lifting of fuel elements, which restricts rapid cycling and increases costs and structural complexity, while also affecting reactor safety and power density uniformity.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for pneumatically lifting fuel elements in groups, using a feeder with burnup detection assemblies, a gas power supply, and a single lifting pipeline, allowing for controlled grouping and simultaneous lifting of multiple fuel elements, optimizing lifting capability and delivery efficiency, and reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fuel elements are lifted one by one sequentially, then the structure is simpler, but the fuel cycling capability and delivery efficiency are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple fuel element lifting operations into a single pipeline by enabling group lifting. Multiple fuel elements are accumulated in the feeder and then lifted simultaneously through one lifting pipeline, combining the functions of what would traditionally require multiple separate pipelines into a single integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic control of the lifting process through adjustable gas flow rates and controllable grouping mechanisms. The gas flow rate can be dynamically adjusted to control the lifting speed and the number of fuel elements lifted in each group, allowing the system to adapt to different operational requirements and optimize both productivity and resource utilization.
2Productivity
If multiple lifting pipelines are disposed to satisfy fuel cycling capability, then the lifting capability increases, but the costs and structural complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of multiple lifting pipelines into a single pipeline by implementing group lifting capability. The feeder accumulates multiple fuel elements and transports them together through one pipeline, eliminating the need for multiple parallel pipelines while maintaining or enhancing the overall lifting capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The single lifting pipeline is designed to perform multiple functions: it can lift different numbers of fuel elements in different groups, adjust lifting speeds, and handle various operational modes. This multi-functional design replaces what would traditionally require multiple specialized pipelines.
3Productivity
If fuel elements are lifted at high speed to improve delivery rate, then the fuel cycling capability increases, but the impact against reactor core and damage rate increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic speed control of the gas flow to optimize the lifting process. The gas flow rate can be adjusted to achieve optimal lifting speeds that balance delivery rate with safety considerations. The system can accelerate fuel elements during transport and then decelerate them before reactor core entry, reducing impact damage while maintaining high overall delivery rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting process uses periodic gas flow patterns with acceleration and deceleration phases. Gas is supplied in controlled pulses that accelerate fuel elements to optimal speeds and then gradually reduce the flow to allow smooth deceleration, preventing high-speed impacts with the reactor core while maintaining efficient overall transport.
4Productivity
If the amount of fuel elements lifted per unit time is increased, then the fuel cycling capability improves, but the uniformity of power density distribution may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamic adjustment of the grouping size and gas flow rate to control the lifting process. By adjusting these parameters, the system can optimize the balance between fuel cycling capability and power density distribution uniformity according to specific operational requirements, allowing flexible adaptation to different reactor states and fuel configurations.
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
This approach enhances fuel cycling capability, improves delivery efficiency, simplifies the reactor structure, and reduces costs by allowing multiple fuel elements to be lifted simultaneously with one pipeline, while maintaining safety and adjusting to varying working conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the fuels after a burnup detecting are lifted perpendicularly from a position below the reactor core to a top of the reactor core by a pushing force of gas flow
Implementation Method 2
an amount of the fuel elements lifted to the reactor core in the unit time by the pneumatically lifting
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A system and a method for pneumatically lifting fuel elements of a pebble-bed reactor group by group are provided. The system comprises a feeder (4), a tee joint (6), a lifting pipeline (8), a gas diverter (9), a reactor feeding pipeline (11), a gas power supply and at least two burnup detection assemblies.