Nuclear reactor plant

• US 6,674,830 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2002
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The President of The Agency of Industrial Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: The President of The Agency of Industrial Science and Technology
• Inventors: Nitawaki, Takeshi, Kato, Yasuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US10/173,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20030091141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 376/361, 376/383, 376/402, 376/211, 376/391, 376/904, 606/441, 606/47
• US Class Current: 376/391
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 1/05 characterised by the type or source of heat, e.g. using nuclear or solar energy
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2210/13 mixed, e.g. two-phase fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G21D 5/06 with engine working medium circulating through reactor core
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/00 Energy generation of nuclear origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 376/904 Moderator, reflector, or coolant materials

Abstract

The subject of the present invention is to provide a nuclear reactor plant of which is a direct cycle nuclear reactor using a carbon dioxide as a coolant such that a heat evacuation for liquefying coolant is reduced while a compressive work is reduced by using a condensation capability of a carbon dioxide for enhancing a cycle efficiency.

The nuclear reactor plant is comprised of a nuclear reactor 1, a turbine 2, and wherein, the coolant of supper critical state is heated by a heat of a nuclear reactor to directly drive a turbine, a gaseous coolant discharged from said turbine is chilled and compressed after said turbine is driven for keeping in a critical state, and then said coolant is circulated again into said nuclear reactor, and wherein, a carbon dioxide is used as said coolant, and a predetermined ratio of gaseous coolant discharged from said turbine is liquefied for being compressed in a liquid state while a rest of gaseous coolant is compressed in a gaseous state.

Claims

1. A nuclear reactor plant, comprising;

a nuclear reactor adapted to heat a coolant in a super critical state, wherein said coolant is carbon dioxide;

a turbine adapted to be driven by the coolant heated by the nuclear reactor, wherein said coolant is discharged from said turbine in a gaseous state;

means for compressing the coolant discharged from said turbine into the super critical state, wherein the coolant in the super critical state is provided to said nuclear reactor, and

wherein said means for compressing the coolant discharged from said turbine divides the coolant in the gaseous state into a first predetermined amount of the coolant which is liquefied into a liquid state and then compressed into the super critical state from the liquid state, and a second predetermined amount of the gaseous coolant which is compressed into the super critical state from the gaseous state.

2. The nuclear reactor plant as set forth in claim 1, comprising wherein said means for compressing the coolant discharged from said turbine:

a first regenerative heat exchanger adapted chill the coolant in the gaseous state discharged from said turbine;

a second regenerative heat exchanger adapted chill the coolant in the gaseous state discharged from said first regenerative heat exchanger;

a first compressor adapted to compress the coolant in the gaseous state discharged from said second regenerative heat exchanger, wherein the coolant in the gaseous state discharged from said first compressor is divided into said first and second predetermined amounts;

a second compressor adapted to compress said second predetermined amount of the coolant in the gaseous state into the super critical state;

a condenser adapted to receive and liquefy said first predetermined amount of the coolant in the gaseous state; and

a pump adapted compress said first predetermined amount of the coolant in the liquid state from said condenser into the super critical state, and

wherein said first predetermined amount of the coolant in the super critical state discharged from said pump is passed through said first regenerative heat exchanger and combined said second predetermined amount of the coolant in the super critical state discharged from said second compressor, and said first and second predetermined amounts of the coolant in the super critical state are passed through said first regenerative heat exchanger and provided to said nuclear reactor.

3. The nuclear reactor plant as set forth in claim 1 or 2 is characterized in that a fast reactor is applied as said nuclear rector.

4. The nuclear reactor plant as set forth in claim 1 or 2 is characterized in that a thermal reactor is applied as said nuclear reactor.