METHOD FOR INCREATING CRITICAL HEAT FLUXES IN A FUEL ASSEMBLY WITH TUBULAR FUEL RODS Russian patent published in 2023 - IPC G21C3/00 

FIELD: increasing critical heat fluxes in a fuel assembly with tubular fuel elements.

SUBSTANCE: according to the method, the coolant is supplied to the inlet of the fuel assembly, the coolant is distributed between the inter-fuel space and the internal cavities of the fuel elements (fuel rods), the coolant is passed along the convex and concave heat-releasing surfaces of the fuel rods, heat is released in the fuel rods, the generated heat is redistributed over the thickness of the fuel rods, the generated heat is removed due to heat removal from the concave and convex surfaces of the fuel element. Moreover, the redistribution and removal of heat from the heat-removing surfaces is carried out due to the fact that the flow entering the inter-fuel space is preliminarily divided into at least two flows, fed to the convex heat-releasing surface of the fuel elements, the flow remote from the convex surface (upper flow) is swirled, the transit flow flowing along the convex heat-releasing surface of the fuel elements and the swirling flow interact, the flows formed by the swirlers and the flows passing along the axis in the gaps between the swirlers interact. Next, the swirling flow that occurs when the coolant passes through the holes in the wall of the fuel element, and the transit flow flowing along the convex heat-releasing surface of the fuel element interact.

EFFECT: possibility of achieving a high energy density of the fuel assembly.

1 cl, 8 dwg