Articles of manufacture, machines, processes for using the articles and machines, processes for making the articles and machines, and products produced by the process of making, along with necessary intermediates, directed to direct nuclear power conversion.

Systems and methods for the remote control of automated equipment are disclosed herein. The systems and methods include automated equipment configured to execute a process in a restricted location by performing operations based on predetermined programming. In some embodiments, the process is a welding process and the restricted location is a nuclear containment building. The system and methods also include cellular routers configured to enable communication of operating parameters between the automated equipment and a human machine interface (HMI). An operator is able to remotely modify operations of the automated equipment, without being inside of or at the site of the restricted location, by changing the operating parameters using the HMI.

According to the disclosure, a position of a main control valve and a position of an auxiliary control valve are adjusted. In particular, a position of the auxiliary control valve is adjusted by determining whether a change in the position of the main control valve is in a preset deadband range, thereby preventing a periodic water level fluctuation of a steam generator.

Disclosed is a reactor operation optimization method based on an improved multi-population genetic algorithm. The reactor operation optimization method includes the following steps: defining an operating condition, and designing an operating scheme according to the operating condition; obtaining operating data of the reactor system of the operating scheme through numerical simulation research, and obtaining operation indexes by calculating the operating data; optimizing the operation indexes based on an improved multi-population genetic algorithm to obtain an optimization result; obtaining an optimal operating parameter setting under the operating condition according to the optimization result. The application solves the problem that the design scheme of reactor operation control hardly meets actual operation requirements, and therefore improves operation characteristics of the reactor system.

A heat exchanger module with a longitudinal axis including a stack of plates defining at least two fluid circuits, at least a portion of the plates each including fluid circulation channels each delimited, at least in part, by a groove. A communication is produced between the channels within a same plate and between all the plates of a same circuit, in a feed or pre-collector zone, with a succession of channel groupings, two-by-two, in the form of bifurcations.

Cores include different types of control cells in different numbers and positions. A periphery of the core just inside the perimeter may have higher reactivity fuel in outer control cells, and lower reactivity cells may be placed in an inner core inside the inner ring. Cores can include about half fresh fuel positioned in higher proportions in the inner ring and away from inner control cells. Cores are compatible with multiple core control cell setups, including BWRs, ESBWRs, ABWRs, etc. Cores can be loaded during conventional outages. Cores can be operated with control elements in only the inner ring control cells for reactivity adjustment. Control elements in outer control cells need be moved only at sequence exchanges. Near end of cycle, reactivity in the core may be controlled with inner control cells alone, and control elements in outer control cells can be fully withdrawn.

A nuclear reactor decommissioning system according to an embodiment includes a cutting device to cut a reactor, a lifting device inserted inside the reactor to lift the reactor, and a shielding device that is positioned between the reactor and the lifting device and blocks radioactive dust generated by the cutting device from spreading.

The present invention comprises: a cylindrical pipe (314) that has a cylindrical shape about an axis (O) extending in the horizontal direction and has a space internally extending in the direction of the axis (O); steam inlets (31, 32) which are provided at the bottom of the cylindrical pipe (314) and through which steam is introduced; a steam outlet (33) that is opened from an end of the cylindrical pipe (314) in the axis (O) direction toward the axis (O) direction for exhausting steam from the cylindrical pipe (314); and a moisture separation element (315) that is provided in the cylindrical pipe (314) between the steam inlets (31, 32) and the steam outlet (33) and has a plurality of vanes for separating moisture from steam by passing the steam through the vanes.

A depressurisation valve for a cooling system including a main chamber having a main valve, a pilot line having a secondary valve and a blowdown line; the main valve being located to seal a path of the coolant system of the nuclear reactor. The main chamber is connected to the cooling circuit via the pilot line allowing coolant to enter the main chamber, and the blowdown line allows coolant to escape from the main chamber, the pilot line having a lower fluid resistance than the blowdown line. The pressure of coolant in the main chamber maintains the main valve in a closed position, and under elevated temperature and/or pressure conditions fluid is prevented from entering the main chamber via a closure of the secondary valve on the pilot line and reduce the pressure from the valve, moving it to its open position.

A drillhole plug includes a frame or housing of a corrosion-resistant material and sized to fit within a milled portion of a directional drillhole that includes a hazardous waste repository; and a material that fills at least a portion of the frame or housing. The material exhibits creep such that the material fills one or more voids between the frame or housing and a subterranean formation adjacent the milled portion of the directional drillhole.