Hybrid heat pipe-control rod development for nuclear applications : PWR, SMR, spent fuel storage and gen-IV reactors

Abstract

An innovative hybrid heat pipe-control rod concept has been proposed in our previous studies for advanced in-core decay heat removal system using unique properties of the heat pipe and operating mechanism of control rods. Heat pipe is a passive heat transfer device that combines the principles of both thermal conductivity and phase change to efficiently transport heat between two interfaces. The concept of the hybrid control rod system is that the control rod can have not only the original function of neutron absorber but also the function of the decay heat removal. The present work introduces further systematic demonstration of the new concept and promising potential applications to nuclear industry of the hybrid heat pipe-control rod not limited to PWR but extended to SMR and Gen IV reactora as well as spent fuel storage.