RU2090466C1 - Cooling system of space power plant - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: space engineering and power engineering; cooling systems of nuclear power plants of space vehicles. SUBSTANCE: cooling system includes pipe lines, fittings and pump with heat-transfer agent contained in them. Heat-transfer agent is frozen in initial stated Electric conductor provided with terminals for connection to power supply source is laid over outer surface of pipe lines, pump and fittings through layer of electric insulation. Thin metal coat made from molybdenum for example may be used as conductor. Heating and melting the heat-transfer agent will be effected due to passage of current through electric conductor. EFFECT: enhanced efficiency. 4 cl, 2 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to space technology and energy and can be used to create cooling systems for power plants (EU) mainly space nuclear power.

 Due to the possibility of removing the untransformed heat of the thermodynamic cycle in space only by radiation, liquid-metal cooling systems are used in space power plants.

Known cooling system (CO) of a space nuclear power plant (NPP) "Topaz" in the form of a circulation circuit with a coolant in the form of a liquid metal of a eutectic alloy with a melting point of minus 11 ^o C [1]
A disadvantage of the known CO is that the launch of a nuclear power plant with such CO is possible only if the coolant is in a liquid state during the withdrawal process and before the launch of the nuclear power plant. Therefore, to ensure a reliable launch of the nuclear power plant, the coolant at the launch complex is heated from a ground source of electricity, and the launch of the nuclear power plant in space must be carried out for a limited time, until the coolant is frozen.

The closest analogue of the invention is a CO containing pipelines, a pump and valves with a coolant placed inside them, initially maintained in a frozen state [2]
The composition of this spacecraft ES includes a liquid metal circuit (LMC) with a lithium coolant. Because the lithium melting temperature is 181 ^o C, then in such a nuclear power plant, the nuclear power plant is launched into the orbit of operation first with a frozen coolant (lithium), and in the launch orbit, lithium is first melted, and then the nuclear power plant is launched. For lithium melting, the LMC is equipped with a special starting system made, for example, on the basis of a non-freezing coolant of helium gas. To ignite lithium, a start-up circuit is integrated in CO, for example, in the form of a pipe with a non-freezing coolant inside pipelines with Li. Raising the reactor power to a relatively small level, the heat from the reactor with the help of a start-up circuit is carried through the LMC CO, gradually melting lithium. After lithium is melted, the starting system is turned off, the ZhMK СО pump is turned on, and the heat is already transferred by the lithium coolant, and the starting circuit is turned off.

 The disadvantage of this SO is that its starting system is quite complex, requires the passage of the elements of the starting circuit in all units of the LMC, including the pump, volume compensators, etc.

 The technical result achieved by using the invention is to simplify the starting system by eliminating the starting circuit with a non-freezing coolant.

 The indicated technical result is achieved in a spacecraft ES containing a circulation circuit with pipelines, a pump and valves with a coolant in them in a liquid or solid phase, in which an electric conductor equipped with terminals for connecting to power source.

 A metal coating, for example, of molybdenum, including with an external black coating, can also be used as an electrical conductor. Alumina can be used as electrical insulation.

 The invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 and 2, which shows a CO circuit with a thermionic reactor (TRP) and a cooler-emitter (CI) based on heat pipes (TT).

 СО is a circulation circuit, part 1 of which is located on TRP 2, cooling the covers of thermionic power generating assemblies (EHS) 3. The input and output of heat carrier 4, for example, lithium, in TRP 2 is carried out through input 5 and output 6 collectors, respectively. From the TRP 2 to the collectors 7 of the heat pipes 9 of the refrigerator-emitter is the so-called “hot” branch 9 of the circuit, and from the collectors 7 of the TT 8 to the TRP 2, the so-called “cold” branch 10 of the circuit. On the "cold" branch 10 there is a compensator 11 for the coolant and a pump 12, mainly an electromagnetic one. On the outer surface of all pipelines of branches 9 and 10, volume compensator 11 and pump 12, as well as on collectors 7 of TT 8, an electrical conductor 14 is placed through the insulation layer 13. It can be structurally made in different ways, for example, in the form of separate strips, wires and etc. The electrical conductor 14 has nodes 15 connected to the starting power source 16, made, for example, on the basis of a battery or solar panel.

 Various designs of the electrical conductor 14 are possible. It can be in the form of a wire insulated from an LMC or in the form of a thin metal coating, for example, of molybdenum. Technologically, this is the easiest way, because it can be applied electrolytically or by plasma. As electrical insulation, it is necessary to use high-temperature, for example, aluminum oxide or compositions based on it. If the LMC is designed to divert the unreformed thermodynamic cycle, then it is advisable to make all the nodes of the LMC with a high degree of blackness, for which a black coating is applied to the metal coating from the outside through an additional layer of electrical insulation.

 CO works as follows.

 In the process of putting the spacecraft from the ES into the working orbit, the coolant 4 can be both in the liquid (if NaK) and in the solid (if Li) state. In the working orbit, after appropriate checks, a command is issued to launch the EC. If this is a nuclear power plant, then the capacity of the reactor 2 is raised to a certain intermediate level. Due to the heat generation in the fuel rods, for example, EHS 3, the heat is transferred to the frozen coolant 4, as a result of which it melts inside the TRP 2. After this, either before the start of the reactor or simultaneously with the start of the TRT from the starting power source 16, voltage is applied to the terminals (connection nodes ) 15. As a result of the passage of current through the electrical conductor 14, it heats up and heat is transferred to the inside of the pipelines 9 and 10, the compensation tank (compensator) 11 and the pump 12, which is in the solid state, the coolant 4, which gradually but it melted. After complete melting of the coolant in the entire LMC, the pump 12 is turned on, the circulation of the coolant 4 in the LMC begins. The power of the reactor 2 rises to working knowledge, part of which is converted into electricity, and the unconverted part of the thermal power by the heat carrier 4 is delivered to the collectors 7 of the TT 8 of the refrigerator-emitter, from which heat is dumped by radiation into space. Cooled in the collectors 7, the coolant 4 enters the input manifold 5 TRP 2, where it is again heated, and the process is repeated.

 In a similar way, a restart of a nuclear power plant with a frozen coolant is ensured.

Claims (4)

 1. The cooling system of a space power plant, containing pipelines, a pump and valves with a coolant placed inside them, initially maintained in a frozen state, characterized in that on the outer surface of the pipelines, pump and valves, an electric conductor equipped with terminals for connecting to the source is placed on top of the electrical insulation layer power supply.  2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that a thin metal coating is used as the electrical conductor.  3. The system of claims. 1 and 2, characterized in that as a metal coating used a coating of molybdenum.  4. The system of claims. 1 to 3, characterized in that the black coating is applied on the outside of the metal coating.

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