Conceptual design study of fast reactor system for deep sea research submersible

not registered; Haga, Kazuo

Objective : A conceptual design of a fast reactor system was studied for deep sea research submersibles diving to the maximum depthes of 10,924m and 8,000m. Method : A space reactor concept was used for the system. Primary coolant of the system was NaK, whose temperatures was set as 680 and 550 C at the exit of a reactor vessel. Secondary system was a closed brayton xcycle using He(60)-Xe(40) gas as working fluid. Electric power output was 20kWe. Thermal efficiency, transported thermal energy, and flow rates and temperatures of the gas and NaK were calculated at closed Brayton cycle analyses. Results : The conceptual design was drawn, based on the size of an each component fixed with the calculated results of these values. The system could be set in a pressure hull comprising of a 2.3m shere and a 1.1m pipe. A simple figure was drawn of the research submersible loading the system. The whole length of the submersible was about 14m. Its weights were about 100ton and 70ton for the maximum depthes of 10,924m and 8,000m respectively. It could be carried by a nother ship. Conclusion : The submersible had the following features compared with the one loading electric cells on account of affluent electric power generation by the fast reactor system. A continuous stay longer than a week and movement at a high speed were made possible over a deep sea bottom. An illuminated region was very wide during sea bottom survey. Observation by watching was possible over a wide region. Therefore the submersible could be considered to be used for detail observation over crackes in the Japan trench and etc.