Nuclear facility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10741295-B2
Application number	US-201615266059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2016
Priority date	Mar 19, 2014
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

A nuclear facility includes a fuel element pool which is filled with a cooling liquid. A fuel element rack, which is disposed in the fuel element pool, includes compartments for receiving fuel elements. The fuel elements received in the compartments are in direct contact with the cooling liquid in the fuel element pool. At least one cooling element is disposed in one of the compartments instead of a fuel element. The cooling element acts as a heat exchanger through which a coolant can flow, the cooling element is connected into a cooling circuit and the cooling element is immersed in the cooling liquid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A nuclear facility, comprising:
a fuel element pool filled with a first cooling liquid;
a fuel element rack disposed in said fuel element pool, said fuel element rack including fuel element compartments configured for receiving fuel elements;
said fuel elements received in said compartments and being in direct contact with the cooling liquid in said fuel element pool; and
a cooling circuit including a second cooling liquid; and
a cooling element disposed in one of said fuel element compartments instead of one of said fuel elements, said cooling element being immersed in the first cooling liquid, being connected in said cooling circuit and acting as a heat exchanger through which the first cooling liquid and the second cooling liquid can flow, said cooling element facilitating heat exchange between the first cooling liquid and the second cooling liquid.

2. The nuclear facility according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling element is constructed for insertion in said one of said compartments in said fuel element rack.

3. The nuclear facility according to claim 2 , wherein said cooling element has a cross sectional area that is the same as a cross-sectional area of one of said fuel elements, wherein the cross-sectional area of the one of said fuel elements is perpendicular to a central longitudinal axis of the one of said fuel elements.

4. The nuclear facility according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling element includes at least one coolant channel for passage of the second cooling liquid circulating in said cooling circuit.

5. The nuclear facility according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling element includes two channels and an intermediate space located between said two channels, wherein said intermediate space is configured for passage of the first cooling liquid located in said fuel element pool.

6. The nuclear facility according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling element includes:
a condensate collector;
at least one condensate channel for feeding the second cooling liquid into said condensate collector;
a vapor collector;
at least one vaporizer channel for conducting the second cooling liquid vaporized in said at least one vaporizer channel into said vapor collector;
a supply line configured for supplying the second cooling liquid from said cooling circuit to said at least one condensate channel; and
a return line configured for feeding the second cooling liquid, which is vaporized, from said vapor collector to said cooling circuit.

7. The nuclear facility according to claim 5 , wherein said two channels are parallel to each other and extend in a longitudinal direction of said fuel element compartments.

8. The nuclear facility according to claim 5 , wherein said two channels are configured for receiving a circulation of the second cooling liquid.

Assignees

• Framatome Gmbh

Inventors

• Fuchs Thomas
• Ornot Leo
• Reck Markus
• Reuter Matthias

Classifications

• G21C19/08

  Means for heating fuel elements before introduction into the core; Means for heating or cooling fuel elements after removal from the core · CPC title

• G21C19/40 Primary

  Arrangements for preventing occurrence of critical conditions, e.g. during storage · CPC title

• G21C19/07 Primary

  Storage racks; Storage pools · CPC title

• Y02E30/30

  Nuclear fission reactors · CPC title