DECAY HEAT CONVERSION TO ELECTRICITY AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20120328068A1
• Filed: 06/04/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carbon Free Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Claudio Filippone
• Inventors: Filippone, Claudio
• Granted Patent: US 9,786,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 376/299
• CPC Class Codes: G21C 19/07 Storage racks; Storage pools
• CPC Class Codes: G21D 5/02 Reactor and engine structurally combined, e.g. portable
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/30 Nuclear fission reactors

Abstract

Various embodiments of a decay heat conversion to electricity system and related methods are disclosed. According to one exemplary embodiment, a decay heat conversion to electricity system may include a spent fuel rack configured to pressurize spent fuel bundles to obtain superheated vapor to drive a turbine-driven pump and fast alternator all submerged with the spent fuel rack and positioned at the bottom of the spent fuel pool for conversion of electricity distributed outside of the spent fuel pool via cables without impairing spent fuel pool operations.

Claims

1. A decay heat conversion to electricity system comprising:

a fuel rack allowing pressurization of a working fluid pressurized by a jet pump configured to ensure free convective cooling of spent fuel bundles;

a hydraulic circuit connecting between the jet pump and a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to recover thermal energy from the fluid exiting a turbine coupled to a pump and a fast electric generator for the conversion of decay heat into electricity.