41results about "Energy production using thermoelectric elements" patented technology

A low energy nuclear thermoelectric system for a vehicle which provides a cost-effective and sustainable means of transportation for long operation range with zero emission using an onboard low energy nuclear reaction thermal generator. The present invention generally includes a thermal generator within a thermal enclosure case, an energy conversion system linked with the thermal generator, an energy storage system linked with the energy conversion system, a cooling system and a central control system. The thermal generator reacts nickel powder with hydrogen within a reactor chamber to produce heat. The heat is then transferred to the energy conversion system to be converted into electricity for storage in the energy storage system. The cooling system provides cooling for the various components of the present invention and the control system regulates its overall operation. The present invention may be utilized to power a vehicle in an efficient, sustainable and cost-effective manner.

The invention discloses a multipurpose small nuclear reactor power supply comprising a reactor core, a heat pipe, a shielding body and a thermoelectric power generation device. One end of the heat pipe is inserted into the reactor core and the other end is inserted into the thermoelectric power generation device. The shielding body is arranged between the reactor core and the thermoelectric powergeneration device. The heat pipe penetrates through the shielding body and the shielding body protects the thermoelectric power generation device from serious radiation damage of the reactor core. Thethermoelectric power generation device comprises thermocouple conversion elements which are arranged at intervals and a cooling passage. The heat pipe is inserted into the thermoelectric power generation device and located on the outer side the thermocouple conversion elements on the two sides of the cooling passage so that the heat pipe is enabled to heat one side of the thermocouple conversionelements in the thermoelectric power generation device and the water in the cooling passage is enabled to cool the other side of the thermocouple conversion elements. The thermocouple conversion elements generates an electric potential by utilizing the temperature difference between the two ends to convert heat energy into electric energy to be used for the multipurpose equipment and system.

The invention discloses a deep-sea nuclear power device which comprises a reactor, a thermoelectric conversion module, a secondary circuit, a secondary circuit driving pump, a runner sandwich, a pressure cavity and an auxiliary system, wherein the thermoelectric conversion module is a static thermoelectric conversion module for converting heat supplied by the reactor into electric energy; waste heat is discharged into a deep-sea environment through the secondary circuit and a pressure cavity. The deep-sea nuclear power device is provided with no moving component, so that continuous operation limitation of a conventional nuclear power device can be broken through; a static thermoelectric conversion system directly exchanges heat with the reactor, so that the overall efficiency of the systemis improved.

The invention discloses a multipurpose dual-mode nuclear reactor power supply. One ends of a plurality of heat pipes are inserted into a heat pipe reactor core, the other ends of the heat pipes penetrate through a shielding body to be inserted into a heat exchanger, the parts, inserted into the heat pipe reactor core, of the heat pipes are coated with a thermal ion converter, a hot end of a Stirling thermoelectric conversion device is connected with the heat exchanger, a cold end of the Stirling thermoelectric conversion device is connected with a water cooling jacket, and finally waste heat is transmitted into cooling water in the water cooling jacket. Heat generated by nuclear fuel fission is conducted to the thermionic converter through the heat pipe reactor core and then guided into the heat exchanger through the heat pipes, temperature difference is formed inside and outside the thermionic converter, and electric energy is generated through static acting. The heat exchanger uniformly transmits the heat to the hot end of the Stirling thermoelectric conversion device, the cold end is cooled by the water-cooling jacket, the heat exchanger and the water-cooling jacket form temperature difference at the two ends of the Stirling thermoelectric conversion device, and electric energy is generated through dynamic acting. A static thermoelectric conversion mode and a dynamic thermoelectric conversion mode are adopted, the reliability of the power supply is improved, the output power of the power supply is increased, and the power supply is used for multipurpose equipment and systems.

In a liquid-metal cooled reactor equipped with a primary cooling system, a secondary cooling system and a steam turbine power generation system, or equipped with a primary cooling system and a steam power generation system, an alkali metal thermoelectric converter is disposed between the primary cooling system or the secondary cooling system and the steam turbine power generation system. Heat of the primary cooling system or the secondary cooling system is supplied to a high-temperature side of the alkali metal thermoelectric converter and waste heat on a low-temperature side of the alkali metal thermoelectric converter is supplied to the steam turbine power generation system. Thus, power generation by the steam turbine power generation system is performed simultaneously with power generation by the alkali metal thermoelectric converter. As a result, the power generation efficiency of the whole plant can be significantly increased.

The invention discloses a nuclear reactor power source with heat pipes bidirectionally inserted into a reactor core. The nuclear reactor power source comprises the reactor core, two groups of the heatpipes, two groups of shields and two groups of power generating parts. The two groups of the shields and the power generating parts are symmetrically arranged on two sides of the reactor core, one ends of the two groups of the heat pipes are inserted into the reactor core from two sides of the reactor core while the other ends are inserted into the two groups of the power generating parts respectively, the shields are arranged between the reactor core and the power generating parts, the heat pipes penetrate the shields, and the shields protect the power generating parts from radiation damagescaused by the reactor core. By adoption of a silent thermoelectric conversion technique, each power generating part comprises thermocouple conversion elements and cooling passages, wherein the thermocouple conversion elements and the cooling passages are arranged at intervals. One side of each thermocouple conversion element is heated by the corresponding heat pipe while the other side is cooledby a working medium in the corresponding cooling passage, so that temperature difference is formed on two sides of each thermocouple conversion element while thermoelectric potential is formed, and heat energy is converted into electric energy for multipurpose equipment and systems to use. By arrangement of the two groups of the power generating parts at two ends of the reactor core, the energy utilization rate is increased.

The invention relates to a portable passive nuclear power reactor, and belongs to the technical field of reactors. The portable passive nuclear power reactor comprises a shell, a neutron reflecting layer, a thermoelectric converter, a hydrogen inlet valve, a hydrogen regulator, fuel, a hydrogen conduction pipe, a heat pipe group and a current output terminal, wherein the shell defines a cylinder structure with an accommodating chamber; the accommodating chamber is divided into a hydrogen regulation chamber and a fuel chamber by the neutron reflecting layer; the thermoelectric converter is positioned on the upper part of the fuel chamber; the hydrogen inlet valve is positioned on the top of the shell; the hydrogen regulator is positioned in the hydrogen regulation chamber; the fuel is positioned in the fuel chamber; the hydrogen regulation chamber is communicated with the fuel chamber by the hydrogen conduction pipe; the heat pipe group is communicated with the thermoelectric converter and the fuel; the current output terminal is positioned outside the accommodating chamber, and penetrates through the shell to be communicated with the thermoelectric converter. According to the reactor disclosed by the invention, by utilizing the characteristic that hydrogenation and dehydrogenation performance of metal uranium can be changed along with the temperature, the design of the passive reactor utilizing the hydrogen as a neutron moderator and an operation control agent is realized.

The invention provides a nuclear power supply system for an underwater unmanned submersible vehicle. The nuclear power supply system can improve the inherent safety and unmanned autonomous control capability of a reactor. The system comprises a reactor core, a high-temperature heat pipe, an alkali metal thermoelectric conversion device, a medium-temperature heat pipe, a storage battery and a pressure-resistant shell, wherein the evaporation section of the high-temperature heat pipe is inserted into the reactor core; the condensation section of the high-temperature heat pipe is inserted into the alkali metal thermoelectric conversion device; the alkali metal thermoelectric conversion device comprises a plurality of groups of thermoelectric conversion modules; a heating end of each thermoelectric conversion module is connected with the high-temperature heat pipe; a condensation end of each thermoelectric conversion module is connected with the medium-temperature heat pipe; the condensation section of the medium-temperature heat pipe is connected with the pressure-resistant shell; waste heat is conducted into surrounding seawater; the alkali metal thermoelectric conversion device is further connected with a storage battery; and the alkali metal thermoelectric conversion device converts heat energy into electric energy and stores the electric energy in the storage battery.

A system and method are provided for generating electric power from relatively low temperature energy sources at efficiency levels not previously available. The present system and method employ recent advances in low energy nuclear reaction technology and thermionic / thermotunneling device technology first to generate heat and then to convert a substantial portion of the heat generated to usable electrical power. Heat may be generated by a LENR system employing nuclear reactions that occur in readily available materials at ambient temperatures without a high energy input requirement and do not produce radioactive byproducts. The heat generated by the LENR system may be transferred through one or more thermionic converter devices in heat transfer relationship with the LENR system to generate electric power.

In some embodiments, energy is released by converting the bonding potential energy between two electropositive masses capable of forming a stable bond between them into the kinetic energy of an electron quasiparticle initially captured between them by the coulomb potential. The electron quasiparticles form transient bonds with delocalized ions and other reactants in or on a reaction particle where reaction rates and branches are controlled by the choice of electron quasiparticle effective mass. Methods and apparatus for stimulating and controlling such association reactions are shown and described. Thermionic and semiconductor methods and apparatus convert the electron quasiparticle energy directly into electricity. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A reactor cooling and power generation system according to the present invention includes a reactor vessel, a heat exchange section to receive heat generated from a core inside the reactor vessel through a fluid, and a power production section having a thermoelectric element configured to produce electric energy using energy of the fluid whose temperature has increased while receiving the heat of the reactor, wherein the system is configured to allow the fluid that has received the heat from the core to circulate through the power production section, and to operate even during an accident as well as during a normal operation of a nuclear power plant to produce electric power.Also, the reactor cooling and power generation system according to the present invention may continuously operate during an accident as well as a normal operation so as to cool the reactor and produce emergency power, thereby improving system reliability. In addition, the reactor cooling and power generation system according to the present invention may facilitate application of safety class or seismic design with a small scale facility, thereby improving the reliability owing to the application of the safety class or seismic design.

The invention provides a thermal ion conversion and Brayton cycle combined power generation reactor system. The thermal ion conversion and Brayton cycle combined power generation reactor system comprises a thermal ion conversion module, an intermediate heat exchanger and a Brayton cycle module. A thermionic thermoelectric conversion element and an alkali metal heat pipe are arranged in the thermionic conversion module, and the thermionic conversion module is coated with a reflecting layer and a shielding layer; the Brayton energy conversion system is composed of a turbine, a heat regenerator,a precooler, a compressor and a generator. A through heat pipe is arranged between the thermionic conversion module and the intermediate heat exchanger; the part, in the thermionic conversion module,of the heat pipe is set as an evaporation section, and the part, in the intermediate heat exchanger, of the heat pipe is set as a condensation section; the inlet of the Brayton energy conversion system is connected with the shell side outlet of the intermediate heat exchanger; and the outlet of the Brayton energy conversion system is connected with the shell side inlet of the intermediate heat exchanger. The heat pipe cooling solid reactor core and the thermionic conversion and Brayton cycle combined power generation design are adopted, and multi-stage utilization of heat of nuclear fission energy is achieved.

The invention discloses a thermoelectric generating unit, a molten salt reactor and an operation method and application of the molten salt reactor. The thermoelectric generating unit is used for condensing ends of heat pipes, and comprises hot end sleeves and cold end sleeves; the hot end sleeves are used for sleeving the condensing ends of the heat pipes, the outer side walls of the hot end sleeves are flat, and the bottom of each hot end sleeve is connected with the bottom of the adjacent hot end sleeve to form a hot end sleeve body; the cold end sleeves provided with inner cavities and matched with the hot end sleeves sleeve each hot end sleeve, the bottom of each cold end sleeve communicates with the bottom of the adjacent cold end sleeve to form a cold end sleeve body with an inner cavity, and cooling medium inlets and cooling medium outlets are formed in the cold end sleeve bodies; thermoelectric generating plates are posted between the outer side walls of the hot end sleeve bodies and the inner side walls of the cold end sleeve bodies; and the outer side walls of the hot end sleeve bodies and the inner side walls of the cold end sleeve bodies are fitted at positions where the thermoelectric generating plates are not posted The thermoelectric generating unit can improve the heat transfer capacity.

The invention discloses space nuclear power supply apparatus based on thermoacoustic and thermoelectric effects. The apparatus comprises a pressure vessel, and a fuel used for a nuclear reaction is arranged in the pressure vessel; the apparatus further comprises thermoacoustic and thermoelectric devices and a heat output device; and the thermoacoustic and thermoelectric devices comprise a resonance hollow cavity, a porous electrode plate, a porous medium and a heat-conducting electrode plate which are arranged in sequence from the bottom to the top, the porous medium is arranged on the pressure vessel in a passing manner, the resonance hollow cavity and the porous electrode plate are placed in the pressure vessel, the heat output device is arranged on the heat-conducting electrode plate, and the heat output device is provided with a radiation radiator. The apparatus disclosed by the invention firstly converts heat of a reactor core into high-frequency pulse thermal oscillation waves according to the thermoacoustic effect, the thermal oscillation waves act on the hot side of a thermoelectric material at extremely-fast frequency to realize a higher-efficiency transient thermoelectricconversion process, and the transient thermoelectric conversion process is a space nuclear power technology combining dynamic and static states, and has thermoelectric conversion efficiency higher than that of a current static thermoelectric conversion technology.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for charging an emergency battery for supplying emergency power to an emergency core cooling apparatus in an atomic power plant. According to the present invention, by providing the apparatus for charging the emergency battery, which supplies the emergency power to the emergency core cooling apparatus, by using a thermoelectric generation element, the emergency core cooling apparatus can normally perform a cooling function and atomic reactor damage due to overheating of the core can be effectively delayed or prevented.

The invention relates to a coolant-free ultra-small compact space reactor core based on carbon nanotubes. The reactor core on the xy plane has a square shape, and a neutron source region, a fuel region, a first reflection region (including a control drum region), and a shielding region are arranged radially outwards from the center thereof, and a power generation hot end region, a shielding region, a second reflection region, a fuel region, a gas chamber, a third reflection region and a shielding region are arranged axially from upwards towards downwards in sequence. The fuel region is composed of fuel rod grid elements, the fuel rods are arranged in a square grid, the original coolant region thereof is filled with carbon nanotubes material, and the energy released by the fuel rods is transmitted to the power generation hot end region through the carbon nanotubes through heat conduction. The control drum region contains 8 cylindrical control drums, which can be rotated at different angles for realizing start-up, shutdown and steady-state operation. The reactor core has the advantages of high heat transfer efficiency, no coolant, simple and compact structure, ultra-small volume, less core charge, safety and economy.

A low energy nuclear thermoelectric system for a vehicle which provides a cost-effective and sustainable means of transportation for long operation range with zero emission using an onboard low energy nuclear reaction thermal generator. The present invention generally includes a thermal generator within a thermal enclosure case, an energy conversion system linked with the thermal generator, an energy storage system linked with the energy conversion system, a cooling system and a central control system. The thermal generator reacts nickel powder with hydrogen within a reactor chamber to produce heat. The heat is then transferred to the energy conversion system to be converted into electricity for storage in the energy storage system. The cooling system provides cooling for the various components of the present invention and the control system regulates its overall operation. The present invention may be utilized to power a vehicle in an efficient, sustainable and cost-effective manner.

The invention relates to a low-energy nuclear reactor capable of enhancing thermal excitation by using a carbon material, an energy production method of the low-energy nuclear reactor and an energy device. The low-energy nuclear reactor comprises a sealed shell and an electric heater, the shell is internally provided with a heat insulation material layer which is used for reducing hydrogen permeation, and reducing the temperature of the surface of the reactor to temperature proper for heat exchange with a cooling system, a protective tube is arranged in the heat insulation material layer, a reaction region is arranged in the tube, a reaction material comprises a porous metal oxide material small ball packing bed, a porous nickel or a nickel-palladium multi-element nano-alloy catalyst supported on carbon nano tubes, graphene or mixed nano-metal oxides and a hydrogen storage or deuterium storage material are filled into porous material pores and small ball gaps of the packing bed, the hydrogen storage material comprises alloy nano powder or treated carbon nano tubes and graphene, an electric heater is arranged outside the protective tube or in a reaction region, heating is controlledto reach a preset temperature, a low-energy nuclear reaction of hydrogen or deuterium occurs in the reaction region, overheating is released, the reaction region is controlled to be in a stable ''self-sustaining'' mode of a temperature field, and direct thermoelectric conversion can be realized.

Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments enable a Nuclear Thermionic Avalanche Cell (NTAC) to capture gamma ray photons emitted during a fission process, such as a fission process of Uranium-235 (U-235), and to breed and use a new gamma ray source to increase an overall emission flux of gamma ray photons. Various embodiments combine a fission process with the production of Co-60, thereby boosting the output flux of gamma ray photons for use by a NTAC in generating power. Various embodiments combine a fission process with the production of Co-60, a NTAC generating avalanche cell power, and a thermoelectric generator generating thermoelectric power.

A vacuum micro-electronics device that utilizes fissile material capable of using the existing neutron leakage from the fuel assemblies of a nuclear reactor to produce thermal energy to power the heater / cathode element of the vacuum micro-electronics device and a self-powered detector emitter to produce the voltage / current necessary to power the anode / plate terminal of the vacuum micro-electronics device.

A system and method are provided for generating electric power from relatively low temperature energy sources at efficiency levels not previously available. The present system and method employ recent advances in low energy nuclear reaction technology and thermionic / thermotunneling device technology first to generate heat and then to convert a substantial portion of the heat generated to usable electrical power. Heat may be generated by a LENR system employing nuclear reactions that occur in readily available materials at ambient temperatures without a high energy input requirement and do not produce radioactive byproducts. The heat generated by the LENR system may be transferred through one or more thermionic converter devices in heat transfer relationship with the LENR system to generate electric power.

An apparatus for charging an emergency battery, which provides an emergency power to an emergency core cooling apparatus including an electric pump or a steam pump includes a thermoelectric generation device configured to detect a decay heat and a residual heat produced in a nuclear power plant and configured to convert the detected heat to an electric energy; an electric energy conversion unit connected to the thermoelectric generation device to output a current generated in the thermoelectric generation device as a constant voltage; and the emergency battery configured to store a power outputted from the electric energy conversion unit.

The invention discloses a marine silent heat pipe reactor power system, which adopts a double-layer shell arrangement and comprises a reactor core, a shielding body, heat pipes, a thermoelectric powergeneration thermoelectric conversion system and a waste heat removal system, the heat pipes alternately extend out of the two ends of the reactor core, one ends of the heat pipes are inserted into the reactor core, and the other ends of the heat pipes are inserted into the thermoelectric power generation thermoelectric conversion system; the thermoelectric power generation thermoelectric conversion system comprises a thermoelectric generator element, a solid heat exchanger and a cold plate which are arranged at intervals, the heat pipe is connected with the thermoelectric generator through asolid heat exchanger to heat the hot end of the thermoelectric generator, and water flows through the cold plate to cool the cold end of the thermoelectric generator; the waste heat removal system isan indirect cooling closed circulation loop and comprises a cooling water pipeline, a water tank, a circulation water pump and a shell heat exchanger, water flows in the closed loop through the circulation water pump, the cold end of the thermoelectric generator is cooled, the thermoelectric generator generates electric potential through the temperature difference between the two ends of the thermoelectric generator, heat energy is converted into electric energy, and the electric energy can be used by the underwater unmanned underwater vehicle.

A system for monitoring a condition of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel disposed in a radioactive environment includes an instrument structured to monitor a condition of the nuclear reactor pressure vessel; a powered wireless transmitting modem disposed in the radioactive environment, the wireless transmitting modem being electrically coupled to the instrument; a receiving modem disposed in the line of sight of the transmitting modem, the receiving modem being in wireless communication with the transmitting modem; and a signal processing unit electrically coupled to the receiving modem, the signal processing unit being structured to determine the condition of the nuclear reactor pressure vessel from the instrument. The transmitting modem is powered by a thermocouple disposed in or on the reactor pressure vessel.

The invention discloses a nuclear power plasma battery, which is used for converting the redundant heat energy generated by a nuclear ion battery into electric energy of plasma through a thermal plasma medium and outputting the electric energy in the medium through the voltage generated by positive / negative charge collection or the action of current generated by the ion battery. The invention aims at improving the utilization rate of the heat energy generated by a nuclear reaction. The medium in the shell has a high temperature. Heat collection would be generated at the anode by means of the thermoelectric action of a thermoelectric conversion metal, so that a residual heat utilization system is designed.

The invention discloses a marine silent heat pipe reactor power system. The system adopts a double-layer shell arrangement, including a core, a shield body, a heat pipe, a thermoelectric conversion system for thermoelectric power generation and a waste heat discharge system, and the heat pipes protrude from both ends of the core alternately. One end of the heat pipe is inserted into the core, and the other end is inserted into the thermoelectric conversion system of thermoelectric power generation; The electrical appliances are connected to heat the hot end of the thermoelectric generator, and the water flows through the cold plate to cool the cold end of the thermoelectric generator; the waste heat removal system is an indirect cooling closed loop, including cooling water pipes, water tanks, circulating water pumps and shell heat exchangers, relying on The circulating water pump makes the water flow in the closed circuit, cooling the cold end of the thermoelectric generator, and the thermoelectric generator uses the temperature difference between its two ends to generate an electric potential, which converts heat energy into electrical energy, which can be used by underwater unmanned submersibles.

A vacuum micro-electronics device that utilizes fissile material capable of using the existing neutron leakage from the fuel assemblies of a nuclear reactor to produce thermal energy to power the heater / cathode element of the vacuum micro-electronics device and a self-powered detector emitter to produce the voltage / current necessary to power the anode / plate terminal of the vacuum micro-electronics device.

The invention discloses a space nuclear power supply device based on thermoacoustic and thermoelectric effects, which includes a pressure vessel in which fuel for nuclear reactions is arranged, a thermoacoustic and thermoelectric device and a heat output device, and a thermoacoustic and thermoelectric device , including a resonant cavity, a porous electrode plate, a porous medium and a thermally conductive electrode plate arranged in sequence from bottom to top, the porous medium is perforated on the pressure vessel, the resonant cavity and the porous electrode plate are placed in the pressure vessel, and the heat output device is set in On the heat conduction electrode plate, a radiation radiator is arranged on the heat output device. In the present invention, according to the thermoacoustic effect, the heat of the core is converted into a high-frequency pulse thermal oscillation wave, and the thermal oscillation wave acts on the hot side of the thermoelectric material at an extremely fast frequency to realize a more efficient transient thermoelectric conversion process, which is It is a space nuclear power technology combining dynamic and static, and the thermoelectric conversion efficiency is higher than that of the existing static thermoelectric conversion technology.