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CN85107286A - The soluble burnable absorber rod that is used for nuclear reactor - Google Patents

The soluble burnable absorber rod that is used for nuclear reactor Download PDF

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Publication number
CN85107286A
CN85107286A CN198585107286A CN85107286A CN85107286A CN 85107286 A CN85107286 A CN 85107286A CN 198585107286 A CN198585107286 A CN 198585107286A CN 85107286 A CN85107286 A CN 85107286A CN 85107286 A CN85107286 A CN 85107286A
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CN
China
Prior art keywords
absorber rod
absorbing material
rod
burnable absorber
tube
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Pending
Application number
CN198585107286A
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Chinese (zh)
Inventor
普拉塔·基拉昌德·多施
约翰·弗朗西斯·威尔森
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CBS Corp
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Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Publication date
Priority claimed from US06/654,625 external-priority patent/US4640813A/en
Application filed by Westinghouse Electric Corp filed Critical Westinghouse Electric Corp
Priority to CN198585107286A priority Critical patent/CN85107286A/en
Publication of CN85107286A publication Critical patent/CN85107286A/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02EREDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E30/00Energy generation of nuclear origin
    • Y02E30/30Nuclear fission reactors

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Abstract

The present invention relates to a kind of soluble burnable absorber rod that is used for nuclear fuel assembly.This rod comprises a tube-like piece (34), and its two ends all are closed and are equipped with a kind of neutron absorbing material (42), and the latter is liquid condition, the boric acid that the most handy boron istope boron 10 enrichings are crossed.What be connected with the inner space that neutron-absorbing material is housed (40) is a kind of hydrogen-absorbing material (44) that is arranged near the end plug (50) of closed tube spare one end, and the hydride trap (46) of the end plug (52) of this tube-like piece other end of the sealing of a shaping.

Description

The soluble burnable absorber rod that is used for nuclear reactor
The present invention is general relevant with nuclear reactor, and is relevant with the soluble burnable absorber rod that uses in a kind of nuclear reactor more precisely.
In a kind of typical nuclear reactor, reactor core includes: many fuel assemblies, every group fuel assembly is by upper and lower base, many elongated, extend between the upper and lower base, at the guide thimble that laterally separates each other, and many horizontal screen works that axially separate each other along the guiding pipe boxes are formed.Every group fuel assembly also comprises many elongated fuel elements or fuel plug, and they and guide pipe cover also separate each other in the horizontal, and are supported by the screen work between the upper and lower base.Fuel rod contains fissioner, they with certain array combination together, this is in order to provide enough neutron flux guaranteeing high nuclear fission rate in reactor core, thereby discharges lot of energy with the form of heat.Be used for producing useful work in order to extract the heat that produces in some reactor cores, then from bottom to top toward the interior pumping liquid cooling medium of reactor core.
Because the generation speed in the reactor core is directly proportional with nuclear fission speed, and nuclear fission speed is by the decision of the neutron flux in the reactor core, therefore by changing the control of the heat that generates when neutron flux realizes reactor start up stage run duration and shutdown.Say that briefly this is to absorb excess neutronp by the control rod that contains the neutron absorbing material to realize.The guiding pipe box also provides passage for neutron being absorbed control rod reeve reactor core except the structural detail of the assembly that acts as a fuel.Therefore, the output of the heat of neutron-flux level (intensity) and reactor core uses the method that control rod is injected and extracts the guiding pipe box to regulate usually.
The practice routinely when reactor start up, is given and is had excessive neutron flux to enter into the reactor in-core surely, like this, when this neutron flux was consumed in the whole phase in longevity at reactor core, still has enough reactivities to keep reactor core and moves in a long period.In view of this practice, in the application of some reactor, in the guiding pipe box of some fuel assemblies, inject burnable poison rod so that help control rod in the guiding pipe box of other fuel assemblies in its whole use phase in longevity, can make the neutron flux in the reactor core or reactively keep more constant.Similar with control rod, burnable poison rod also contains the neutron absorbing material.The difference of burnable poison rod and control rod mainly is: between the operating period, the position in the guiding pipe box is changeless in reactor core for it.
In US Patent specification the 3rd, 510, whole advantages that the fixing burnable poison in use location obtains in a nuclear reactor have been set forth in No. 398.So far, burnable poison and stipulate that its rod of arranging at the reactor core internal fixation has been the rod of " fixing " type is housed.The rod meaning that a rod is called fixed is meant that the absorber content of burnable poison is determined by the initial loading of material in this rod manufacture process on any axial height of this rod.
Burnable poison rod in the above-mentioned United States Patent (USP) has been represented the feature of fixed rod.The major defect of fixed absorbing rod is: be not that whole neutron-absorbing materials in the rod can both all be burnt or uniform loss.The shape approximation ground of the axial damage curve of fixed absorbing rod is identical to the neutron flux distribution curve with interim mean axis of whole reactor core longevity.Yet, owing to lack corresponding between some neutron flux peaks of the average axial distribution of neutron flux and reactor in-core overall stack core operation phase in longevity appearance, therefore on some axial location of fixed burnable poison, faster on other positions of the consumption rate of poisonous substance material.This has just caused the incomplete loss of absorber on other positions, so have the absorber of considerable surplus to slattern when the phase in longevity finishes.
Therefore, concerning the design of burnable poison rod, need to improve the fuel recycle price, on manufacturing cost and reactor core cycle length, all will surpass the fixed design.Basic purpose of the present invention satisfies these needs exactly.
Correspondingly, the invention provides a kind of soluble burnable poisonous substance or neutron absorbing rod no matter after still making during fabrication whenever, the absorber content of material is fixing on any axial location of rod.This absorbent material can circulate, and therefore, can obtain replenishing from the axial area absorbing material of other low-loss rates than the fast axial area of mean value consumption (because neutron flux peak).Fundamental point of the present invention is to recognize: simply with flow state is provided and the fixing method of shape absorbing material will produce circulation and is owing to cause in the thermal gradient that exists on excellent short transverse usually in poison rod.Do not need external drive source.Therefore, absorber content just is easy to remain a steady state value in its whole altitude range when poison rod consumes, and can burnup not get hurry up on a certain local height.When making absorbing rod is by the needed absorbing material amount of peak value neutron flux position calculation, so the absorbing material that the fixed absorbing rod needs wants many compared with implementing circular form rod of the present invention.Situation with the considerable residual absorption body waste of adopting fixing absorption-type rod to occur when the reactor core loop ends is compared, and by circular form rod of the present invention, all can exhaust fully on its whole length, rescues during like this with it not have significant residual absorption body and waste.In a word, compare with well-known fixed absorbing rod, the circular form absorbing rod has been deepened burnup, thereby has also prolonged cycle period.In addition, its cost also can be lower.
So, briefly say, the invention belongs to a kind of improved burnable absorber rod, it is the hollow tubular spare composition of its elongated closed at both ends, and liquid neutron-absorbing material is housed in it.This burnable absorber rod also comprises: be arranged on a hydride trap mechanism of pipe fitting one end, and a suction hydrogen device mechanism that is arranged on the pipe fitting other end, hydride trap and suction hydrogen device mechanism all communicate with the inner space of the tube-like piece that liquid absorption material is housed.
Say that definitely tube-like piece is to be made of at these tube-like piece two ends and with the end plug of its sealing the tubular body of a thin-walled shape structure and a pair of plug.Tube-like piece is configured as has one or more to be used for strengthening the rigidity of absorber rod structure and the enhancing of fastness is spiraled in it, therefore make it can bear the inside and outside high pressure that acts on the pipe preferably.Strengthen the shape spiral and can be a kind of groove or trench digging at the body internal shaping, and between two ends along the tubular body rising of spiraling.It also can be a succession of many ring grooves as the sieve circle at the body internal shaping that this enhancing is spiraled, and they make the tube-like piece radial dilatation, and arrange at certain intervals vertically from the tube-like piece end to end.The reinforcement of these two kinds of shapes is spiraled and also can be combined use.The preferably water-soluble boron of liquid neutron absorbing material, the boron here are the boron 10 that the content that concentrated is higher than natural abundance.Because design all is equipped with absorbing material during absorbing rod on the whole core height of run duration, therefore, the liquid level of absorbing material is lower in run duration rod not, so that reserve some vapor spaces.
Below only by way of example and consult accompanying drawing and describe most preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the accompanying drawing:
Fig. 1 is cut-away section, the elevation view that dwindles a fuel assembly of the vertical expression in back by scenography, and for clarity sake its some parts have been dismantled.
Fig. 2 is the amplification view that dwindles an enforcement burnable absorber rod of the present invention of the vertical expression in back by scenography.
In the following explanation, several views of whole accompanying drawing are represented corresponding parts with identical reference symbol, and such as " forward ", " backward ", " left side ", " right side ", " make progress ", terms such as " downwards " and similar term are used as convenient speech and can not be considered as limiting term.
Now consult accompanying drawing, consult Fig. 1 especially, fuel assembly shown in the figure and that briefly represent with numeral 10 is the type of using in the presurized water reactor (PWR).It is substantially by forming with the lower part: lower-end member or bottom nozzle 12 are used for this assembly is supported on the lower core (support) plate (not shown) of a reactor core district (not shown); Many from bottom nozzle 12 guide pipe or sleeve pipe 14 protruding upward; Several horizontal screen work 16 along the placement of guide thimble 14 axially spaced-aparts; Arrange the many elongated fuel rods 18 of separating mutually and supporting by screen work 16 in side direction by certain format; A prison side gauge pipe 20; An and upper component or last base 22 that is connected guiding pipe box 14 upper ends.This fuel assembly 10 has formed one can be easy to loading and unloading and can not damage the single unit system of assembly spare.
Every fuel rod 18 is equipped with fuel pellet 24, and its two ends seal by end plug 26,28.Fuel pellet 24 is made up of fissioner, and is the source of the nuclear reaction power produced in the presurized water reactor.In order to extract the heat that produces in some fuel assemblies and to remove to do useful work, through the fuel assembly of the reactor core a kind of liquid moderator/cooling medium of pumping that makes progress, as water or boron water with it.
As indicated above, in order to utilize uranium fuel better and to reduce fuel cost therefrom, prolong the term of life of this reactor core when being preferably in water pressuring stacking operation as far as possible longways.For reaching this purpose, common way is a kind of built-in reactivity of regulation reactor core when beginning and provides method to keep this reactivity at reactor core more consistently in the whole phase in longevity.
The present invention is relevant with such mechanism, and this mechanism is suitable for being inserted into the improved soluble burnable poisonous substance or neutron absorbing rod (30) form of going in the guide thimble 14 with a kind of, as shown in Figure 1.In the reactor (not shown), at least one, several control rods 30 preferably by a radiation shape frame 32 fixed supports in the guide thimble 14 of some fuel assemblies, so that impel the movable control rod in other fuel assembly guide thimbles to keep a substantially invariable neutron flux or reactive level in whole running period at reactor core.
Consult Fig. 2 now, flammable receipts rod 30 comprises the tubular part 34 of an elongated hollow, and a hermetic closed chamber 40 between two ends 36 and 38 is arranged in the tube-like piece.This enclosed cavity 40 is equipped with a kind of aqueous neutron absorbing material 42, do not have mechanism 44 in tube-like piece 34 upper ends, it is equipped with a suction hydrogen device and is connected with enclosed cavity 40, and does not have mechanism 46 in the bottom of tube-like piece 34, it is adorning a hydride trap, also is connected with enclosed cavity 40.
Tube-like piece 34 is made by a tube-like piece 48 and a pair of end plug 50,52, and it is made up of suitable material, preferably a kind of zirconium-base alloy as zirconium-4. End plug 50,52 tightly is fixed firmly to the two ends of tube-like piece 48, such as by girth joint 54,56, thereby tube-like piece 48 is closed.
Liquid neutron absorbing material 42 preferably is dissolved in the boron (boric acid) of water in the enclosed cavity 40, and boron 10 concentrated in this boron, and its content surpasses its natural abundance.Adopt in improved absorbing rod 30 and concentrate boron material, will propose and solve a relevant problem of utilizing boron: at room temperature the solubility limit of the solubility limit of boron in water boron in the time of 37.8 ℃ is approximately 15000ppm.(this limit is 125 in the time of 163 ℃, 000ppm).For reaching its desired function, the absorbing rod 30 actual charging capacitys that require are than 15, and 000ppm is much more.For conventional fixed absorbing rod, its charging capacity is about 79,000ppm, and still, 30 needs of improved absorbing rod are about 64, the natural boron of 000ppm (or boron 10 of 12800ppm).But this is the solubility limit height during still than low temperature.Therefore, and contain the noticeable isotope of about 20% boron 10() natural boron compare, this boron need concentrate boron 10.Boron concentration is about 15 when using 85% to concentrate boron, and 000ppm concentrates boron (12,800ppm boron 10), and these boron can be dissolved in the solution at low temperatures.
During reactor core ran well, along absorbing rod 30 formation temperature gradients, this excellent temperature of lower was lower and upper temp is higher.Since the just circulation in enclosed cavity 40 of this thermograde, liquid absorbing material 42, the consumption rate of such circulation energy automatic equalization neutron absorbing material on the whole length in chamber 40.
Rod 30 tubular body 48 has the one or more enhancing that forms in it and spirals, it strengthened should rod mechanism rigidity and fastness, thereby make this rod can bear effect inside and outside high pressure thereon preferably.Strengthening the shape of spiraling can take to form in the tube-like piece 48 and a kind of groove or the trench digging that spiral and rise along tube-like piece between tube-like piece 34 two ends.This enhancing is spiraled also can be at tubular body 48 internal shapings and make it many endless grooves 60 that the picture sieve encloses of warp-wise expansion, and these grooves are axially separated from one another along tube-like piece 34.The enhancing of these two kinds of forms is spiraled and can also be combined use.Use form in the tube-like piece 48 spirality and (or) annular strengthen spiral 58,60 propose with solved another with absorbing rod 30 in the relevant problem of boron: how to handle the helium release that in enclosed cavity 40, causes owing to the interaction of boron and neutron.
Notice that between not on-stream period of reactor core liquid boron solution all is not full of enclosed cavity 40, just is raised to the liquid level 62 of appointment, for the variation of the solution specific volume that causes owing to temperature variation.When temperature when 37.8 ℃ are raised to 315.6 ℃, water volume increases by 45%.Be that right absorbing rod 30 is designed on the whole core height of run duration absorbing material is arranged all, run duration not (when reloading, etc.), the absorption scapus in the absorbing rod must reduce, and so just can provide evaporating space 64 so.
Get back to the problem relevant with discharging helium now, its solution is to utilize to strengthen to spiral; Should be noted that the helium that discharges has increased the end of lifetime (EOL) pressure in the absorbing rod 30.When water temperature was 315.6 ℃, the operation M vapor pressure that exists in the enclosed cavity 40 was 105 atmospheric pressure approximately.Because the end of lifetime internal pressure must be limited near the reactor coolant pressure (150 atmospheric pressure) so that avoid tubular body 48(or involucrum) outwards creep, the helium that discharges and give the resulting pressure of gas-pressurized (filling gas) should be greatly about 48 atmospheric pressure so that make internal pressure and external pressure is able to equilibrium.Like this, must be reduced to about 20 atmospheric pressure in beginning of lifetime (BOL) stowing pressure.This stowing pressure that reduces causes acting on quite high external pressure on the body 48 at beginning of lifetime, and this high pressure can cause the creep of absorbing rod 30 to subside.By above-mentioned enhancing spiral be helicla flute 58 and (or) ring groove 60, can solve this difficulty, these two kinds of enhancings are spiraled has increased the anti-collapse strength of 48 pairs of external pressures of tubular body.If use ring groove 60, they are preferably on the absorbing rod 30 with distance each other and are about 25 millimeters arranged spaced.Show that as calculated the spiral pressure that subsides of the pipe that can make 0.6 millimeter of 12 millimeters wall thickness of diameter of the enhancing of 1 millimeters deep doubles.1.5 spiraling, the enhancing of millimeters deep then make this pressure increase twice.Therefore, say briefly that the intensity that strengthens the thin-walled increase of the 58 and 60 pairs of tubular bodies 48 that spiral is to bear the external pressure at beginning of lifetime.
In order to reduce the corrosion of tube-like piece 34 inboards, its material quenches mutually through β.Because oxidizing process is not hydrogeneous, processing has also reduced in the pipe fitting hydride and has separated out like this.The following end plug 52 of solid is used as the mechanism that constitutes the hydride hydrazine.Because this lower end of pipe fitting 34 be a colder end, so hydrogen is easy to move to this end.Upper end plug 50 is one and is used for absorbing rod 30 is connected to web member on the radiation shape frame 32, be close to it and do not inhale hydrogen device mechanism 44, this mechanism adopts a kind of form of zircaloy sponge 66, and it is suitable for removing the hydrogen of evaporating space 64 in the enclosed cavity 40 of pipe fitting 34.This sponge 66 is by 68 supportings of a disk, and this disk 68 is by annular boss 72 supportings that are formed in body 48 inboards of tube-like piece 34.
Following end plug 52 has a undergauge end 74, and it is encased in the vibroshock (not shown) that is located at guide thimble 14 bottoms, and when control rod was injected rapidly in an emergency shut-down operating process, it can play a shock snubber.Following end plug 52 has one to run through therebetween in axially extended injection channel 76, and this passage is used for giving fills the helium pressurization for earlier absorbing rod 30, and then with pad 78 it is sealed.

Claims (10)

1, a kind of soluble burnable absorber rod that is used for nuclear fuel assembly comprises it is characterized in that tubular part and the inner chamber that a kind of neutron absorbing material is housed of an elongated closed at both ends; Described neutron absorbing material (42) is liquid condition.
2, by the described soluble burnable absorber rod of claim 1, it is characterized in that: liquid neutron-absorbing material (42) is to have improved the boric acid of boron 10 with monosodium glutamate concentration.
3, by claim 1 or the described soluble burnable absorber rod of claim 2, it is characterized in that: elongated tube-like piece (34) has the mechanism (46) that constitutes a hydride trap at the one end, has a described hydride trap of mechanism (44) and a described suction hydrogen device that constitutes suction hydrogen device to be connected with the inner chamber that neutron-absorbing material is housed (40) at its other end.
4, by the described soluble burnable absorber rod of claim 3, it is characterized in that: a kind of end plug is made by the mechanism (46) that constitutes the hydride trap, and it closes an end of described pipe fitting (34).
5, by claim 3 or the described soluble burnable absorber rod of claim 4, it is characterized in that: constitute the mechanism (44) of inhaling the hydrogen device and make a kind of sponge absorbing material, it is supporting a contiguous end plug (50) that is used for sealing the described pipe fitting other end.
6, by the described soluble burnable absorber rod of claim 5, it is characterized in that: described sponge absorbing material is supported on the retainer (68), and this retainer is bearing on the annular boss (72) on the inwall that is formed in tube-like piece (34).
7, by the described soluble burnable absorber rod of claim 6, it is characterized in that: described retainer (68) is a disk, and it has a through hole that runs through (70) to be communicated with the inner chamber that neutron-absorbing material is housed (40).
8, by each the described soluble burnable absorber rod in the claim of front, it is characterized in that: described tube-like piece (34) has the tubular body (48) of a thin-wall construction, have on the described tubular body increase tube-like piece to the enhancing mechanism (58) of the bearing strength of external pressure and (or) (60).
9, by the described soluble burnable absorber rod of claim 8, it is characterized in that: described enhancing structure is with the shape of spiral slot a kind of flute profile on described tubular body (48) spiral (58) of spiraling substantially from tube-like piece (34) end to end.
10, by claim 8 or the described soluble burnable absorber rod of claim 9, it is characterized in that: described enhancing structure is to be formed in described tubular body (48) circlewise to go up and axially spaced thereon ring groove (60).
CN198585107286A 1984-09-26 1985-10-04 The soluble burnable absorber rod that is used for nuclear reactor Pending CN85107286A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CN198585107286A CN85107286A (en) 1984-09-26 1985-10-04 The soluble burnable absorber rod that is used for nuclear reactor

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US06/654,625 US4640813A (en) 1984-09-26 1984-09-26 Soluble burnable absorber rod for a nuclear reactor
CN198585107286A CN85107286A (en) 1984-09-26 1985-10-04 The soluble burnable absorber rod that is used for nuclear reactor

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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN104900276A (en) * 2006-11-28 2015-09-09 泰拉能源有限责任公司 Automated nuclear power reactor for long-term operation
CN107301883A (en) * 2017-07-28 2017-10-27 中国原子能科学研究院 The device of dehydrogenation and tritium is removed in a kind of sodium-cooled fast reactor fuel

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN104900276A (en) * 2006-11-28 2015-09-09 泰拉能源有限责任公司 Automated nuclear power reactor for long-term operation
CN107301883A (en) * 2017-07-28 2017-10-27 中国原子能科学研究院 The device of dehydrogenation and tritium is removed in a kind of sodium-cooled fast reactor fuel

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