KR-20260062481-A - Apparatus for discharging molten salt for molten salt reactor

KR20260062481AKR 20260062481 AKR20260062481 AKR 20260062481AKR-20260062481-A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for discharging molten salt from a molten salt reactor. A molten salt discharge device for discharging molten salt from a molten salt reactor comprises: a drain tank formed to receive the molten salt discharged from the molten salt reactor and connected to the molten salt reactor through a discharge passage; and an inert gas injection unit configured to inject an inert gas into the molten salt reactor and discharge the molten salt from the molten salt reactor to the drain tank by means of the pressure of the injected inert gas.

Inventors

이정현
박상민
이제경

Assignees

에이치디한국조선해양 주식회사

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241029

Claims (7)

In a molten salt discharge device for discharging molten salt within a molten salt reactor, A drain tank formed to be connected to the molten salt reactor through a discharge passage and capable of receiving the molten salt discharged from the molten salt reactor; and An inert gas injection unit configured to inject an inert gas into the molten salt reactor and discharge the molten salt inside the molten salt reactor to the drain tank by the pressure of the injected inert gas; A molten salt discharge device including
In paragraph 1, The above inert gas is argon in the molten salt discharge device.
In paragraph 1, The above inert gas injection part An inert gas tank for storing the above inert gas; An inert gas injection pipe connecting the inert gas tank and the molten salt reactor; and An injection control valve installed in the above-mentioned inert gas injection pipe; A molten salt discharge device including
In paragraph 1, A pressure relief pipe for relieving pressure in the drain tank while the inert gas is injected into the drain tank by the inert gas injection part; A molten salt discharge device further comprising
In paragraph 4, A molten salt discharge device configured such that the pressure discharge pipe above discharges the pressure within the drain tank to the inert gas injection part.
In paragraph 4, A molten salt discharge device configured such that the pressure discharge pipe above discharges the pressure inside the drain tank to a separate external device.
In paragraph 1, A molten salt discharge device further comprising one or more level sensors installed in the molten salt reactor to detect the height of the molten salt.

Description

Apparatus for discharging molten salt for molten salt reactor The present invention relates to a device for discharging molten salt from a molten salt reactor. A Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) is a reactor that uses molten salt as both nuclear fuel and coolant. Unlike conventional reactors that use solid nuclear fuel, MSRs utilize liquid fuel by mixing nuclear fuel materials, such as uranium, with salt that has been molten in a liquid form under high-temperature conditions. Molten Salt Reactors are being researched in the form of marine reactors, and studies are being conducted on their placement in marine environments in the form of power generation vessels and propulsion ships. When a molten salt reactor is shut down for maintenance or repair, or due to an accident, the molten salt is removed from the main vessel to stop the reactor and ensure safe operation. In conventional molten salt reactors, the method of safely extracting nuclear fuel into a drain tank at the bottom of the reactor via gravity is utilized in specific situations, such as accidents. However, when used as a marine reactor, situations may arise where ejection using only gravity becomes difficult if the vessel tilts or capsizes. The information described above disclosed in the background technology of this invention is intended only to enhance understanding of the background of the present invention and may therefore include information that does not constitute prior art. FIG. 1 is a diagram briefly showing a molten salt reactor to which a molten salt discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the state in which a level sensor of a molten salt discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed in a molten salt reactor. FIG. 3 is a flowchart schematically showing the control logic performed by the molten salt discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The embodiments of the present invention are provided to more fully explain the invention to those skilled in the art, and the following embodiments may be modified in various different forms, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the disclosure more faithful and complete and to fully convey the spirit of the invention to those skilled in the art. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that a person skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention. A molten salt discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a molten salt reactor and used to discharge molten salt within the reactor. A molten salt reactor uses molten salt as fuel or coolant. As is known, in a molten salt reactor, heat exchange occurs between the molten salt used as fuel and the molten salt used as coolant through a heat exchange system, and the heat transferred to the coolant is transferred to a power generation system to produce electrical energy. The molten salt discharge device functions to discharge the molten salt, which is nuclear fuel, from the reactor in order to urgently stop the operation of the reactor in the event of an emergency in such a molten salt reactor. The molten salt discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to stably discharge molten salt even when the vessel is tilted, when the molten salt reactor is applied to a ship or offshore structure. FIG. 1 is a diagram briefly showing a molten salt reactor to which a molten salt discharge device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. Referring to FIG. 1, the molten salt reactor (1) can be installed in a ship or an offshore structure. The molten salt reactor (1) generates thermal energy by utilizing the nuclear reaction of nuclear fuel material. The molten salt reactor (1) is a molten salt reactor that uses molten salt, and can supply fuel or cool using molten salt, which is a salt in a molten state at a high temperature. Since molten salt has good heat transfer and heat storage characteristics and good fluidity, it is suitable for use as a coolant or a heat storage material. In addition, the molten salt can be used as nuclear fuel by dissolving nuclear fuel material in the molten salt. For example, the nuclear fuel of the molten salt reactor (1) is in a liquid state, and salts in the form of ThF₄ , TRUF₃ , UCl, and PuCl, in which nuclear fuel materials such as Th, U, and Pu are chemically bonded with fluorine (F) or chlorine (Cl), can be dissolved in the molten salt coolant to form nuclear fuel salt. Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 1, the molten salt reactor device may include, in addition to the molten salt reactor (1), a heat exchange system for heat exchange between the molten salt used and the molten salt used as a coolant, a power generation system that generates pow