System for the highly autonomous operation of a modular liquid-metal reactor with steam cycle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10217536-B2
Application number	US-201414228328-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2014
Priority date	Mar 31, 2005
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to a nuclear plant in which the power of a nuclear reactor is controlled via demand of a connected electric grid. A naturally circulating nuclear reactor coolant loop is linked to a water/steam loop by means of a steam generator. The water/steam loop consists of an electric power generating unit and a water recirculating and steam control system. The generator is coupled to an external power grid. As power requirements of the grid change, a controller linked to the generator and a three way valve divides steam flow between the expansion turbine and a feedwater heater to boost or retard the power output. Altering the steam flow changes the pressure and temperature in the water/steam system and thus the coolant flow rate. The change in coolant flow allows the reactor core to regulate its reactivity to reach a state of equilibrium to the demand for electric power.

First claim

I claim:

1. A system for regulating nuclear reactor core activity comprising:
a naturally circulating nuclear reactor having a nuclear reactor cooling outlet,
a nuclear reactor cooling inlet, and
a nuclear core with a negative temperature reactivity coefficient;
a steam generator having a saturated liquid space displaced above the nuclear reactor cooling outlet, and
a steam space;
a coolant loop where the coolant loop cycles coolant out through the nuclear reactor coolant outlet, where the coolant loop is in thermal communication with the saturated liquid space of the steam generator, and where the coolant loop cycles coolant in through the nuclear reactor coolant inlet;
a steam piping system in fluid communication with the steam space of the steam generator;
a three way valve having a valve shaft, in fluid communication at a three way valve inlet port with the steam piping system which leaves the steam generator;
an expansion turbine directly fluidly connected to and in fluid communication with the three way valve only at a three way valve first outlet port;
a condenser in fluid communication with the expansion turbine;
a pump header in fluid communication with the condenser;
a feedwater heater in fluid communication at a heater inlet port with the three way valve at a three way valve second outlet port and in fluid communication at a heater outlet port with the condenser;
a feedwater pump having a pump inlet port in fluid communication with the pump header, and
a pump discharge port;
a feedwater header in fluid communication with the pump discharge port of the feedwater pump, in thermal communication with the feedwater heater, and in fluid communication with the saturated liquid space of the steam generator;
an electric generator mechanically driven by the expansion turbine and electrically connected to an electrical grid; and
a controller separate from and in data communication with both the valve shaft of the three way valve and the electric generator, where the controller is programmed to
respond to an increase in power demand from the electric generator by directing movement of the valve shaft to concomitantly increase steam flow to the expansion turbine and decrease steam flow to the feedwater heater, and
respond to a decrease in power demand from the electric generator by directing movement of the valve shaft to concomitantly decrease steam flow to the expansion turbine and increase steam flow to the feedwater heater.

2. The electric generating system of claim 1 where the nuclear reactor includes fuel, and where the fuel is a nitride.

3. The electric generating system of claim 2 where the coolant includes lead.

4. The electric generating system of claim 3 , where the coolant is a lead-bismuth eutectic.

Assignees

• Vilim Richard B
• Us Dept Energy

Inventors

• Vilim Richard B

Classifications

• G21D3/14

  Varying flow of coolant · CPC title

• G21D3/08 Primary

  Regulation of any parameters in the plant · CPC title

• F01D17/24

  electrical · CPC title

• Y02E30/00

  Energy generation of nuclear origin · CPC title

• F01K13/02

  Controlling, e.g. stopping or starting · CPC title