Nouvelle structure de canal de réacteur nucléaire

• Main Author: LUCIEN ALFILLE
• Format: Patent
• Language: French
• Published: 01.08.1960
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: NUCLEAR ENGINEERING; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR REACTORS; PHYSICS

941,668. Nuclear reactors. COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE. April 21,1960 [April 29, 1959], No. 14038/60. Heading G6C. Vitreous silica is used as a guide tube for fuel elements in a nuclear reactor; the silica has a very smooth surface, and flexible and deformable connecting members are put at the ends of the tube, around it, and between different sections of it. Fig. 3 shows a channel of a CO 2 -cooled D 2 O- moderated reactor, comprising a pressure tube 3, thermal insulation 4, and vitreous silica 5. A spring and guide bush 14 are provided at one end to absorb changes in length of the silica; the sections of the silica tube are separated by plastic metal rings 15 of sintered A1 welded to metal foil 16, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 shows an air-cooled, sintered beryllia-moderated reactor having silica guide and pressure tubes 5 supported by plastic metal bush 20 of low carbon stainless steel on steel plate 19 and by a refractory alloy ring 21a and a plastic metal bush in steel plate 23. Fuel is supended from a support 24; fuel and pressure tube are centred by refractory alloy springs. The silica tube may be smooth or finned, opaque or transparent, moulded or drawn; it may be polished mechanically or with hydrogen fluoride. The Specification also describes existing reactors: one has CO 2 coolant, D 2 O moderator, and Mg alloy pressure tubes containing and insulated from fuel element guide tubes, the Mg alloy tubes being enclosed in receiving tubes mounted in the reactor; another has a combined pressure and receiving tube of Be. A beryllia-moderated reactor using sintered U-Mgo fuel, and guide tubes of Al, Mg, Zr and their alloys, Be and stainless steel, are mentioned.