A coolant-free ultra-compact space reactor core based on carbon nanotubes

Abstract

The invention relates to an ultra-small and compact space reactor core without coolant based on carbon nanotubes. The shape of the core is square on the xy plane, and radially outwards from the center thereof are a neutron source region, a fuel region and a first The reflection area (including the control drum area) and the shielding area are, from top to bottom in the axial direction, the heat generating end area, the shielding area, the second reflecting area, the fuel area, the gas chamber, the third reflecting area, and the shielding area. The fuel area is composed of fuel rod cells, the fuel rods are arranged in a square grid, and the outer original coolant area is filled with carbon nanotube material, and the energy released by the fuel rods is transferred to the power generation hot end area by heat conduction through the carbon nanotubes. The control drum area contains 8 cylindrical control drums, which can be rotated at different angles to realize the functions of starting, stopping and steady-state operation. The reactor core has high heat conduction efficiency, no coolant, simple and compact structure, ultra-small volume, less core loading, safe and economical functions.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of nuclear reactors, and in particular relates to an ultra-small and compact space reactor core which adopts carbon nanotubes as heat-conducting materials and has no convective heat transfer mode. Background technique [0002] With the continuous exploration of space by human beings, in more and more space missions, conventional energy sources (chemical energy, solar energy) can no longer meet the demand, and advanced space nuclear reactor power supply has become an inevitable or even the only choice. Compared with conventional chemical energy sources, nuclear energy has higher power density, and its excellent performance advantages make it suitable for use in various civil aerospace missions such as deep space exploration, star surface bases, and earth orbit applications as a power supply solution for nuclear reactors. As early as the 1960s, two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, had succe...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

The currently designed space reactor does not use carbon nanotubes as heat-conducting materials, and the proposed cooling method mainly adopts convective heat transfer. The core of small compact space reactor (the concept of ultra-small reactor was proposed by the special working group of the US National Defense Council, referring to the reactor with output power less than 10 megawatts) has not been reported in the literature

Images