SHELL-TYPE NUCLEAR ONCE-THROUGH REACTOR COOLED WITH WATER OF SUPERCRITICAL PRESSURE WITH STEAM SUPERHEATING AND METHOD OF ITS OPERATION Russian patent published in 2012 - IPC G21C7/30 

FIELD: power engineering.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of nuclear engineering and may be used in development of light-water reactors of supercritical pressure with steam superheating. The method to operate a reactor includes placement of fuel assemblies in the reactor core, their usage for a certain period of time, implementation of the fuel assembly handling programme. At the same time as fresh fuel assemblies loaded into the central subzone burn out, the fuel assemblies are serially shifted from the central subzone into the middle subzone and then as they burn out to the peripheral subzone. The shell-type nuclear once-through reactor cooled with water of supercritical pressure with steam superheating comprises a reactor vessel, facilities for water supply and steam discharge connected with appropriate headers formed under the support plate and in the upper part of the reactor core, fuel assemblies distributed in the reactor core. There are three radial subzones formed in the reactor core. Headers formed under the support plate and in the upper part of the reactor core are arranged in the form of sections providing for serial passage of the supplied water flow along three formed subzones from fuel assemblies of the peripheral subzone to the fuel assemblies of the central subzone.

EFFECT: reduced temperature of fuel assembly shells, reduced density of coolant to compensate for reactivity margin for burning.

2 cl, 1 dwg