Method and system for the thermoelectric conversion of nuclear reactor generated heat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9691507-B2
Application number	US-38605209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2009
Priority date	Apr 13, 2009
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A method and system for the thermoelectric conversion of nuclear reactor generated heat including upon a nuclear reactor system shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting nuclear reactor generated heat to electrical energy and supplying the electrical energy to a mechanical pump of the nuclear reactor system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy; and
supplying the electrical energy to at least one mechanical pump of the nuclear reactor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy comprises:
following initiation of a nuclear reactor shutdown, thermoelectrically converting nuclear reactor generated heat to electrical energy.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy comprises:
upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting residual heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy comprises:
upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one thermoelectric device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one thermoelectric device comprises:
upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one thermoelectric junction.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one thermoelectric junction comprises:
upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one semiconductor-semiconductor junction.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one semiconductor-semiconductor junction comprises:
upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one p-type/n-type junction.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy comprises:
upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one nanofabricated thermoelectric device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy comprises:
upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device having at least a first portion in thermal communication with a first portion of the nuclear reactor and at least a second portion in thermal communication with a second portion of the nuclear reactor.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device having at least a first portion in thermal communication with a first portion of the nuclear reactor and at least a second portion in thermal communication with a second portion of the nuclear reactor comprises:
upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device having at least a first portion in thermal communication with at least one heat source of the nuclear reactor.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device having at least a first portion in thermal communication with at least one heat source of the nuclear reactor comprises:
upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device having at least a first portion in thermal communication with at least a portion of a nuclear reactor core, at least a portion of at least one pressure vessel, at least a portion of at least one containment vessel, at least a portion of at least one coolant loop, at least a portion of at least one coolant pipe, at least a portion of at least one heat exchanger, or at least a portion of a coolant of the nuclear reactor.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device having at least a first portion in thermal communication with a first portion of the nuclear reactor and at least a second portion in thermal communication with a second portion of the nuclear reactor comprises:
upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device having at least a second portion in thermal communication with a second portion of the nuclear reactor system, the second portion of the nuclear reactor system at a lower temperature than the first portion of the nuclear reactor.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device having at least a second portion in thermal communication with a second portion of the nuclear reactor system, the second portion of the nuclear reactor system at a lower temperature than the first portion of the nuclear reactor comprises:
upon a nuclear reactor shutdown event, thermoelectrically converting heat generated with a nuclear reactor to electrical energy using at least one thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device having at least a second portion in thermal communication with at least a portion of at least one coolant loop, at least a portion of at least one coolant pipe, at least a portion of at least one heat exchanger, at least a portion of a coolant of the nuclear reactor, or at least a portion of at least one environmental reservoir.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplying the electrical energy to at least one mechanical pump of the nuclear reactor comprises:
supplying the electrical energy to at least one mechanical pump of the nuclear reactor, the at least one mechanical pump circulating coolant through a portion of at least one nuclear reactor core or a portion of at least one heat exchanger.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplying the electrical energy to at least one mechanical pump of the nuclear reactor comprises:
supplying the electrical energy to at least one mechanical pump of the nuclear reactor, the at least one mechanical pump circulating at

Assignees

• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Walter Joshua C
• Weaver Thomas Allan
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H
• Terrapower Llc

Inventors

• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Walter Joshua C
• Weaver Thomas Allan
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H

Classifications

• G21D7/04

  using thermoelectric elements {or thermoionic converters}(structural combination of fuel element with thermoelectric element {or with thermoionic converters} G21C3/40 {, G21H1/10}; thermoelectric elements per se H10N10/00, H10N15/00) · CPC title

• Y02E30/40

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G21D1/02 Primary

  Arrangements of auxiliary equipment · CPC title

• Y02E30/00

  Energy generation of nuclear origin · CPC title

• Y02E30/30

  Nuclear fission reactors · CPC title