Nuclear reactor and method of operating same
    1.
    发明授权
    Nuclear reactor and method of operating same 失效
    核反应堆及其运行方法

    公开(公告)号:US4273613A

    公开(公告)日:1981-06-16

    申请号:US945897

    申请日:1978-09-26

    申请人: Alvin Radkowsky

    发明人: Alvin Radkowsky

    IPC分类号: G21C19/20

    CPC分类号: G21C19/205

    摘要: A method of operating a heavy-water moderated nuclear reactor is described enabling a significant portion of the total core power to be derived from burning natural thorium rather than uranium. In the novel method, interior rod positions of the fuel rod clusters are refueled with thorium-containing rod segments to irradiate the thorium until its multiplication factor is built up to about that of natural uranium, and then the irradiated thorium-containing rod segments are removed from the interior rod positions of the cluster and are utilized to refuel exterior rod positions of the cluster. Also described is a nuclear reactor construction wherein the fuel cluster segments have a mechanical fastener arrangement permitting the quick attachment and detachment of the rod segments within the cluster, thereby facilitating the above refueling procedure.

    摘要翻译: 描述了操作重水慢化核反应堆的方法,使得能够从燃烧天然钍而不是铀获得总核能力的很大一部分。 在新颖的方法中,燃料棒簇的内部杆位置用含钍的杆段加油以照射钍,直到其倍增系数达到天然铀的倍数为止,然后将经辐射的含钍棒段去除 并且用于对集群的外部杆位置进行加油。 还描述了一种核反应堆结构,其中燃料簇段具有机械紧固装置,其允许杆段快速附接和分离在簇内,从而便于上述加油程序。

    Seed-blanket reactors
    2.
    发明授权
    Seed-blanket reactors 有权
    种子层反应堆

    公开(公告)号:US6026136A

    公开(公告)日:2000-02-15

    申请号:US273279

    申请日:1999-03-22

    申请人: Alvin Radkowsky

    发明人: Alvin Radkowsky

    摘要: Seed-blanket type nuclear reactor cores are employed to burn thorium fuel with conventional reactor fuels, including nonproliferative enriched uranium, and weapons or reactor grade plutonium. In a first embodiment, the core is completely nonproliferative in that neither the reactor fuel, nor the generated waste material, can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. In a second embodiment of the invention, the core is employed to burn large amounts of weapons grade plutonium with the thorium, and provides a convenient mechanism by which stockpiled weapons grade plutonium can be destroyed and converted into electrical energy. The cores of both embodiments are comprised of a plurality of seed-blanket unit fuel assemblies which have centrally located seed regions that are surrounded by annular blanket regions. The seed regions contain the uranium or plutonium fuel rods, while the blanket regions contain thorium fuel rods. The moderator/fuel volume ratios and relative sizes of the seed and blanket regions are optimized so that neither embodiment generates waste materials that can be employed for manufacturing nuclear weapons. A novel refueling scheme is also employed with the first embodiment to maximize seed fuel utilization, and further insure that the spent fuel cannot be employed for manufacturing nuclear weapons.

    摘要翻译: 种子毯式核反应堆核心用于用常规反应堆燃料(包括非增殖型浓缩铀)和武器或反应堆级钚来燃烧钍燃料。 在第一个实施方案中,核是完全非增白的,因为反应堆燃料和生成的废物都不能用于制造核武器。 在本发明的第二实施例中,核心用于用钍燃烧大量的武器级钚,并且提供了一种方便的机制,通过该机制储存武器级钚可以被破坏并转换成电能。 两个实施例的核心包括多个种子毯单元燃料组件,其具有由环形覆盖区域包围的位于中心的种子区域。 种子区域包含铀或钚燃料棒,而覆盖区域包含钍燃料棒。 优化了种子和覆盖区域的调节剂/燃料体积比和相对尺寸,使得这两个实施方案都不产生可用于制造核武器的废料。 第一实施例也采用了一种新颖的加油方案,以最大化种子燃料利用率,并进一步确保废燃料不能用于制造核武器。

    Seed-blanket reactors
    3.
    发明授权
    Seed-blanket reactors 失效
    种子层反应堆

    公开(公告)号:US5864593A

    公开(公告)日:1999-01-26

    申请号:US18472

    申请日:1998-02-04

    申请人: Alvin Radkowsky

    发明人: Alvin Radkowsky

    摘要: Seed-blanket type nuclear reactor cores (10,100) are employed to burn thorium fuel with conventional reactor fuels, including nonproliferative enriched uranium, and weapons or reactor grade plutonium. In a first embodiment, the core (10) is completely nonproliferative in that neither the reactor fuel, nor the generated waste material, can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. In a second embodiment of the invention, the core (100) is employed to burn large amounts of weapons grade plutonium with the thorium, and provides a convenient mechanism by which stockpiled weapons grade plutonium can be destroyed and converted into electrical energy. The cores of both embodiments are comprised of a plurality of seed-blanket units (12, 102) which have centrally located seed regions (18,104) that are surrounded by annular blanket regions (20,106). The seed regions contain the uranium or plutonium fuel rods (22,110), while the blanket regions contain thorium fuel rods (26,118). The moderator/fuel volume ratios and relative sizes of the seed and blanket regions are optimized so that neither embodiment generates waste materials that can be employed for manufacturing nuclear weapons. A novel refueling scheme is also employed with the first embodiment to maximize seed fuel utilization, and further insure that the spent fuel cannot be employed for manufacturing nuclear weapons.

    摘要翻译: 使用种子毯式核反应堆核(10,100)用常规反应堆燃料(包括非增殖型浓缩铀)和武器或反应堆级钚来燃烧钍燃料。 在第一实施例中,核(10)完全不增殖,因为反应堆燃料和生成的废料都不能用于制造核武器。 在本发明的第二个实施例中,核心(100)用于用钍燃烧大量的武器级钚,并且提供了一种方便的机制,通过这种机制可以销毁储存的武器级钚并转换成电能。 两个实施例的核心由多个种子覆盖单元(12,102)组成,其具有居中定位的种子区域(18,104),其被环形覆盖区域(20,106)包围。 种子区域包含铀或钚燃料棒(22,110),而覆盖区域包含钍燃料棒(26,118)。 优化了种子和覆盖区域的调节剂/燃料体积比和相对尺寸,使得这两个实施方案都不产生可用于制造核武器的废料。 第一实施例也采用了一种新颖的加油方案,以最大化种子燃料利用率,并进一步确保废燃料不能用于制造核武器。

    Seed-blanket reactors
    4.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US5737375A

    公开(公告)日:1998-04-07

    申请号:US516130

    申请日:1995-08-17

    申请人: Alvin Radkowsky

    发明人: Alvin Radkowsky

    摘要: Seed-blanket type nuclear reactor cores (10,100) are employed to burn thorium fuel with conventional reactor fuels, including nonproliferative enriched uranium, and weapons or reactor grade plutonium. In a first embodiment, the core (10) is completely nonproliferative in that neither the reactor fuel, nor the generated waste material, can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. In a second embodiment of the invention, the core (100) is employed to burn large amounts of weapons grade plutonium with the thorium, and provides a convenient mechanism by which stockpiled weapons grade plutonium can be destroyed and converted into electrical energy. The cores of both embodiments are comprised of a plurality of seed-blanket units (12, 102) which have centrally located seed regions (18,104) that are surrounded by annular blanket regions (20,106). The seed regions contain the uranium or plutonium fuel rods (22,110), while the blanket regions contain thorium fuel rods (26,118). The moderator/fuel volume ratios and relative sizes of the seed and blanket regions are optimized so that neither embodiment generates waste materials that can be employed for manufacturing nuclear weapons. A novel refueling scheme is also employed with the first embodiment to maximize seed fuel utilization, and further insure that the spent fuel cannot be employed for manufacturing nuclear weapons.

    Light water breeder reactor using a uranium-plutonium cycle
    5.
    发明授权
    Light water breeder reactor using a uranium-plutonium cycle 失效
    使用铀 - 钚循环的轻水养殖反应堆

    公开(公告)号:US4968476A

    公开(公告)日:1990-11-06

    申请号:US378482

    申请日:1982-05-14

    申请人: Alvin Radkowsky

    发明人: Alvin Radkowsky

    IPC分类号: G21C1/04

    摘要: A light water cooled and moderated nuclear reactor for breeding fissile material on a uranium-plutonium cycle and also a method of operating a light water cooled and moderated reactor having a prebreeder section fueled from plutonium extracted from fuel discharged by a uranium burner or converter burner core. Subsequently, the prebreeder section, together with a breeder section, operated as coupled cores or modules, becomes self-sustaining and able to breed fissile plutonium fuels at a relatively high rate of gain.

    摘要翻译: 一种用于在铀 - 钚循环中培养易裂变材料的轻水冷却和调节核反应堆,以及一种操作轻水冷却和温和反应器的方法,该反应器具有从由铀燃烧器或转炉燃烧器芯排出的燃料中提取的钚燃烧的预养料部分 。 随后,饲养员部分与育种部门一起作为耦合的核心或模块运作,变得自给自足,能以相对较高的增益收养易裂变钚燃料。

    Seed-blanket reactors
    8.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US5949837A

    公开(公告)日:1999-09-07

    申请号:US018473

    申请日:1998-02-04

    申请人: Alvin Radkowsky

    发明人: Alvin Radkowsky

    摘要: Seed-blanket type nuclear reactor cores (10,100) are employed to burn thorium fuel with conventional reactor fuels, including nonproliferative enriched uranium, and weapons or reactor grade plutonium. In a first embodiment, the core (10) is completely nonproliferative in that neither the reactor fuel, nor the generated waste material, can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. In a second embodiment of the invention, the core (100) is employed to burn large amounts of weapons grade plutonium with the thorium, and provides a convenient mechanism by which stockpiled weapons grade plutonium can be destroyed and converted into electrical energy. The cores of both embodiments are comprised of a plurality of seed-blanket units (12, 102) which have centrally located seed regions (18,104) that are surrounded by annular blanket regions (20,106). The seed regions contain the uranium or plutonium fuel rods (22,110), while the blanket regions contain thorium fuel rods (26,118). The moderator/fuel volume ratios and relative sizes of the seed and blanket regions are optimized so that neither embodiment generates waste materials that can be employed for manufacturing nuclear weapons. A novel refueling scheme is also employed with the first embodiment to maximize seed fuel utilization, and further insure that the spent fuel cannot be employed for manufacturing nuclear weapons.

    Nuclear reactor
    9.
    发明授权
    Nuclear reactor 失效
    核反应堆

    公开(公告)号:US4678619A

    公开(公告)日:1987-07-07

    申请号:US37400

    申请日:1979-05-07

    申请人: Alvin Radkowsky

    发明人: Alvin Radkowsky

    IPC分类号: G21C5/20 G21C1/00 G21C3/58

    摘要: In a water-cooled nuclear reactor for producing energy and having seed and blanket zones, which reactor is cooled by pressurized water and contains fissile material of plutonium and uranium, the reactor is provided, in its seed zones and blanket zones, with a plutonium composition such as obtained from light water power plant reactors after a normal service life and recycle, and with fuel elements whose geometry in the seed and blanket zones, with respect to the coolant water, is selected to produce an epithermal neutron spectrum.

    摘要翻译: 在用于生产能量并具有种子和覆盖区域的水冷核反应堆中,该反应器由加压水冷却并含有钚和铀的易裂变材料,在其种子区和覆盖区域中用钚组合物 例如在正常使用寿命和循环后从轻水发电厂反应器获得的燃料元件,以及相对于冷却水在种子和覆盖区域中的几何形状被选择以产生超热中子谱的燃料元件。