Nuclear reactor shutdown system and method of nuclear reactor shutdown

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025157679-A1
Application number	US-202318839891-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 15, 2023
Priority date	Mar 3, 2022
Publication date	May 15, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A nuclear reactor shutdown system includes a shielded path that passes through a reactor core fuel housed in a nuclear reactor vessel in a hermetically sealed manner, one end of the shielded path having an opening and another end of the shielded path being closed; a neutron absorber that is allowed to enter from the opening of the shielded path; an elastic member that is configured to urge the neutron absorber in a direction entering inside from the opening of the shielded path by being released from a compressed state; and a braking part that is disposed so as to maintain the compressed state of the elastic member and is configured to release the elastic member from the compressed state when the braking part reaches or exceeds a threshold temperature.

First claim

1 . A nuclear reactor shutdown system comprising:
a shielded path that passes through a reactor core fuel housed in a nuclear reactor vessel in a hermetically sealed manner, one end of the shielded path having an opening and another end of the shielded path being closed; a neutron absorber that is allowed to enter from the opening of the shielded path; an elastic member that is configured to urge the neutron absorber in a direction entering inside from the opening of the shielded path by being released from a compressed state; and a braking part that is disposed so as to maintain the compressed state of the elastic member and is configured to release the elastic member from the compressed state when the braking part reaches or exceeds a threshold temperature.

2 . The nuclear reactor shutdown system according to claim 1 , provided in a nuclear reactor unit that comprises:
a nuclear reactor that includes the reactor core fuel and the nuclear reactor vessel; and a heat conduction part that is disposed inside the nuclear reactor vessel and is configured to conduct heat of the reactor core fuel through solid-state heat conduction.

3 . The nuclear reactor shutdown system according to claim 1 , wherein the braking part is formed of a material melting or degenerating at the threshold temperature or higher.

4 . The nuclear reactor shutdown system according to claim 1 , wherein the neutron absorber is rod-like, extending in a direction in which the shielded path extends.

5 . The nuclear reactor shutdown system according to claim 1 , further comprising a feeding member that is configured to feed the neutron absorber inward from the opening of the shielded path along with the elastic member being released from the compressed state.

6 . The nuclear reactor shutdown system according to claim 5 , wherein
the feeding member includes a cylinder having one end in which the braking part is disposed and having another end communicating with the opening of the shielded path, and includes a piston that is configured to reciprocate inside the cylinder through elastic force of the elastic member, and the neutron absorber is housed inside the cylinder placed on a side of the shielded path with respect to the piston is and is fed inward from the opening of the shielded path by the piston being urged toward the shielded path.

7 . The nuclear reactor shutdown system according to claim 6 , wherein the neutron absorber is a plurality of solid spheres.

8 . The nuclear reactor shutdown system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a heating unit that is configured to heat the braking part up to the threshold temperature or higher; and a controller that is configured to send a control signal for heating the braking part to the heating unit.

9 . A method of nuclear reactor shutdown for a system that includes:
a shielded path that passes through a reactor core fuel housed in a nuclear reactor vessel in a hermetically sealed manner, one end of the shielded path having an opening and another end of the shielded path being closed; a neutron absorber that is allowed to enter from the opening of the shielded path; an elastic member that is configured to urge the neutron absorber in a direction entering inside from the opening of the shielded path by being released from a compressed state; and a braking part that is disposed so as to maintain the compressed state of the elastic member and is configured to release the elastic member from the compressed state when the braking part reaches or exceeds a threshold temperature, the method comprising causing the neutron absorber urged by the elastic member to enter inside from the opening of the shielded path by releasing the elastic member from the compressed state when the braking part reaches or exceeds the threshold temperature.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Otsuki Shohei
• Kamohara Satoru
• Yodo Tadakatsu
• Kobayashi Shota
• Murakami Nozomu
• Nakazato Wataru
• Sano Keisuke
• Fujiwara Daisuke
• Sugiura Hirokazu
• Tanaka Yutaka
• Ishiguro Tatsuo
• Noguchi Hironori
• Tokairin Tsuyoshi
• Karato Takanori
• Miyamoto Takahiro

Classifications

• G21C9/02

  Means for effecting very rapid reduction of the reactivity factor under fault conditions, e.g. reactor fuse; {Control elements having arrangements activated in an emergency}(control elements per se G21C7/00) · CPC title

• G21C7/14 Primary

  Mechanical drive arrangements · CPC title

• G21C9/027 Primary

  by fast movement of a solid, e.g. pebbles · CPC title

• Y02E30/30

  Nuclear fission reactors · CPC title