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KR-20260064933-A - A NUCLEAR PROPULSION SHIP

KR20260064933AKR 20260064933 AKR20260064933 AKR 20260064933AKR-20260064933-A

Abstract

A nuclear propulsion vessel is disclosed. The nuclear propulsion vessel according to the present embodiment may include a reactor that generates energy using molten salt, a molten salt reactor device including a storage tank that captures and stores fission product gas emitted from the reactor, a fluorescent device that receives fission product gas from the storage tank, extracts a fluorescent material, and supplies it to an electrical device within the propulsion vessel, and a nuclear battery that generates power using radiation emitted by the fission product gas and supplies it to an electrical device within the propulsion vessel.

Inventors

  • 김종원
  • 이상민
  • 임채욱

Assignees

  • 삼성중공업 주식회사

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20241030

Claims (11)

  1. A molten salt reactor device comprising a reactor that generates energy using molten salt, and a storage tank that captures and stores fission-product gases discharged from the reactor; A fluorescent device that receives the fission-producing gas from the storage tank, extracts a fluorescent material, and supplies it to an electric device within the propulsion vessel; and A nuclear propulsion vessel comprising a nuclear battery that generates power using radiation emitted by the aforementioned fission-producing gas and supplies it to an electrical device within the propulsion vessel.
  2. In paragraph 1, A power storage device capable of storing electrical energy generated from the above-mentioned nuclear battery; and A nuclear-powered vessel further comprising wiring capable of transferring electrical energy from the above-mentioned power storage device to an electric device.
  3. In paragraph 1, A nuclear propulsion vessel further comprising a pipe connecting the storage tank and the nuclear battery or the storage tank and the fluorescent device.
  4. In paragraph 1, The above nuclear battery is, A nuclear-powered vessel including semiconductor devices.
  5. In paragraph 4, The above nuclear battery is, A nuclear propulsion vessel that generates electrical energy by the movement of electrons and holes generated by irradiating the above-mentioned radioactivity onto the pn junction of the semiconductor device.
  6. In paragraph 1, A nuclear propulsion vessel further comprising a control unit that detects a situation in which the power supply within the propulsion vessel is interrupted and controls the supply of a fluorescent material generated from the fluorescent device to the electric device.
  7. In paragraph 1, A nuclear-powered vessel in which the fission-producing gas comprises at least one of hydrogen (H), carbon (C), krypton (Kr), or xenon (Xe).
  8. In paragraph 1, The above molten salt reactor device is, A nuclear-powered vessel further comprising a plurality of separation tanks that store the gas stored in the above storage tanks separately according to the type of gas.
  9. In paragraph 1, Among the aforementioned fission-producing gases, xenon gas is, A nuclear propulsion vessel that is transferred to the nuclear battery after decaying into cesium (Cs) gas.
  10. In paragraph 1, The above radiation is a nuclear-powered vessel in which the radiation is beta rays (β).
  11. In paragraph 1, The electrical device supplied with the above fluorescent material is an emergency sign or light for a nuclear-powered vessel.

Description

A Nuclear Propulsion Ship The present invention relates to a nuclear-powered ship, and more specifically, to a nuclear-powered ship capable of using a fluorescent material generated from radioactive gas captured in a nuclear reactor as a fluorescent device, or generating electricity using radiation generated from radioactive gas. Ships or offshore plants generally obtain propulsion or operate primarily using fossil fuels. While fossil fuels are efficient, burning them produces byproducts that cause environmental pollution. Consequently, the development of eco-friendly energy began to replace fossil fuels. Eco-friendly energy includes solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectric energy, bioenergy, and others, and nuclear energy can also be classified as eco-friendly energy. Nuclear power generation is a method of producing electricity by using energy from nuclear fission reactions to boil water and produce steam, and then using the power of this steam to rotate a turbine. Nuclear energy is obtained through nuclear fission reactions that occur inside a nuclear reactor. As nuclear energy is used across various industries, ideas have been proposed to utilize nuclear energy in the operation of ships, and recently, technology to use nuclear reactors in ships is being developed. Molten salt reactors can generate gaseous radioactive materials during nuclear fission. These gaseous materials must be removed, primarily using methods such as helium bubbling. The gaseous radioactive materials can be xenon (Xe) or krypton (Kr) gas; in particular, xenon gas is a reactor poisoning material because it can absorb neutrons and interfere with the nuclear fission chain reaction, so it must be removed to ensure the normal operation of the reactor. While radioactive gases captured from the reactor are typically stored or disposed of separately, continuous development is underway for reactors capable of reusing these gases. In ships or offshore plants, there is a problem in that electrical equipment cannot be operated during emergency situations where the power supply is cut off (Station Blackout, SBO) or in radiation zones where internal personnel cannot access. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the reactor device of a conventional reactor-powered ship. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a nuclear-powered ship according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a nuclear-powered ship according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the movement of electrons in the nuclear battery of the nuclear propulsion vessel of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of current in the nuclear battery of the nuclear propulsion vessel of the present invention. The following describes the embodiments of the present invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are presented to sufficiently convey the concept of the present invention to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented herein and may be embodied in other forms. In order to clarify the present invention, the drawings may omit the illustration of parts unrelated to the description and may slightly exaggerate the size of components to aid understanding. Recently developed nuclear-powered ships in Korea utilize Molten Salt Reactors, which use liquid nuclear dyes unlike conventional reactors, and are one of the next-generation innovative reactors currently under development worldwide. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conventional molten salt reactor. With reference to Figure 1, the reactor used in conventional reactor-powered ships will be described. The reactor generates electricity using energy produced when nuclear fuel, such as uranium, undergoes nuclear fission. Two to three fission products are generated as a result of this fission. Most of these fission products are radioactive isotopes and are treated as radioactive waste, requiring separate management and disposal. In molten salt reactors, nuclear fuel circulates in a molten state, and fission products mix with the molten salt in solid, liquid, or gaseous forms depending on their chemical properties. Among these, some gaseous fission products can exacerbate corrosion inside the reactor and have a high neutron absorption rate, which can adversely affect the reactor's operation and lifespan. Therefore, these gaseous fission products must be continuously removed and captured in molten salt reactors. Accordingly, a nuclear-powered ship was devised that can improve energy efficiency by capturing gases generated from a molten salt reactor. Hereinafter, a nuclear-powered ship according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2, FIGS. 4, and FIGS. 5. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a nuc