A neutron absorbing insert for use in a fuel rack. In one aspect, the insert includes: a plate structure having a first wall and a second wall that is non-coplanar to the first wall; the first and second walls being formed by a single panel of a metal matrix composite having neutron absorbing particulate reinforcement that is bent into the non-coplanar arrangement along a crease; and a plurality of spaced-apart holes formed into the single panel along the crease prior to bending.

A neutron absorbing insert for use in a fuel rack. In one aspect, the insert includes: a plate structure having a first wall and a second wall that is non-coplanar to the first wall; the first and second walls being formed by a single panel of a metal matrix composite having neutron absorbing particulate reinforcement that is bent into the non-coplanar arrangement along a crease; and a plurality of spaced-apart holes formed into the single panel along the crease prior to bending.

An autonomous self-powered system for cooling radioactive materials comprising: a pool of liquid; a closed-loop fluid circuit comprising a working fluid having a boiling temperature that is less than a boiling temperature of the liquid of the pool, the closed-loop fluid circuit comprising, in operable fluid coupling, an evaporative heat exchanger at least partially immersed in the liquid of the pool, a turbogenerator, and a condenser; one or more forced flow units operably coupled to the closed-loop fluid circuit to induce flow of the working fluid through the closed-loop fluid circuit; and the closed-loop fluid circuit converting thermal energy extracted from the liquid of the pool into electrical energy in accordance with the Rankine Cycle, the electrical energy powering the one or more forced flow units.

This invention relates to electric power industry, and more particularly to horizontal steam generators for nuclear power plants with a water-cooled water-moderated power reactor (VVER) and to reactor plants with a VVER reactor and a horizontal steam generator. A reactor plant with a VVER reactor and a horizontal seam generator, including a nuclear reactor with four circulation loops, each comprising a steam generator with a horizontal bundle of heat-exchange tubes divided into banks by means of inter-tubular tunnels and connected to primary circuit coolant headers inside a cylindrical pressure vessel with elliptical bottoms, a reactor coolant pump, and a primary circuit coolant main circulation pipeline.

Supports with integrated sensors for nuclear reactor steam generators, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed. A representative method for forming a nuclear-powered steam generator includes forming an instrumented support, the instrumented support including a carrier portion and a retainer portion, with at least one of the carrier portion or the retainer portion being integrally formed with a sensor via an additive manufacturing process. The method can further include coupling the sensor to a communication link, supporting a helical steam conduit on the instrumented support, and installing the helical steam conduit and the instrumented support in a nuclear reactor. The helical steam conduit is positioned along a primary flow path, which is in turn positioned to circulate a heated primary flow in thermal communication with the helical steam conduit.

Method of fabricating structures, such as parts for use in nuclear power generation systems, are described herein. A representative method of fabricating a part for a nuclear reactor system includes additively manufacturing the part as a monolithic structure from a wire formed of an oxide dispersion strengthen (ODS) material, which includes an oxide material dispersed within a metal material. Specifically, the method can include directing a beam of thermal energy toward the wire to melt the wire, and permitting the melted wire to cool and solidify to form the part such that the oxide material remains substantially dispersed within the metal material. By maintaining the dispersion of the oxide material within the metal material, the ODS material can retain a good creep resistance, wear-resistance, corrosion resistance, and/or other ODS material property at elevated temperatures—even after fabrication.

A neutron absorbing insert for use in a fuel rack. In one aspect, the insert includes: a plate structure having a first wall and a second wall that is non-coplanar to the first wall; the first and second walls being formed by a single panel of a metal matrix composite having neutron absorbing particulate reinforcement that is bent into the non-coplanar arrangement along a crease; and a plurality of spaced-apart holes formed into the single panel along the crease prior to bending.

A steam generator includes a shroud and an annular stepwise helical baffle extending along at least part of a length of the shroud. There is a riser located in a central region of the steam generator. The helical baffle is made up of at least one annular sector of flat plates. The edges of the flat plates may be straight or corrugated.

The present disclosure provides a stopped cooling system including: a steam line connecting portion connected to a steam line so as to receive cooling water through the steam line connected to an outlet of a steam generator; a stopped cooling heat exchanger for receiving cooling water that enters the stopped cooling system through the steam line connecting portion, and discharging same through a passage of the heat exchanger; a stopped cooling pump activated to perform stopped cooling of the nuclear reactor upon normal stoppage of the nuclear reactor after primary cooling of the nuclear reactor cooling system or when an accident occurs, and for forming a circulating flow of cooling water that circulates between the steam generator and the stopped cooling heat exchanger; and a water supplying pipe connecting portion connected to the heat exchanger passage and a water supplying pipe, which is connected to the inlet of the steam generator, so as to supply the cooling water cooled in the stopped cooling heat exchanger to the steam generator through the water supplying pipe.

A coolant recirculation system of a nuclear power plant is provided that may include: a reactor vessel configured to accommodate a reactor core and a reactor coolant therein; a steam generator configured to transfer a gas, converted from a liquid phase to a gaseous phase by exchanging heat with the reactor coolant, to a turbine system; a pressurizer configured to control pressure of the reactor coolant in the reactor vessel; a primary system pressure reducing valve located above the pressurizer and configured to open at a predetermined pressure to discharge the reactor coolant into a containment building for rapid depressurization; and a moisture separator connected to the primary system pressure reducing valve to separate moisture. The moisture separator may separate the reactor coolant into a gaseous phase and a liquid phase. Then, the liquid phase reactor coolant may be returned to the reactor vessel to be recirculated.