NUCLEAR REACTOR COOLANT PUMP WITH HIGH DENSITY COMPOSITE FLYWHEEL

摘要

A nuclear reactor coolant pump (RCP) comprises a stator and a rotating assembly including a rotor, an impeller, and a flywheel configured to rotate about an axis of rotation in response to the stator being electrically energized. The flywheel comprises a first material (such as stainless steel) and has a plurality of mutually parallel tubular openings filled with a second material that is denser than the first material (such as tungsten or tungsten alloy). In some embodiments the mutually parallel tubular openings are cylindrical openings, and are filled with the second material comprising cylindrical rods. In a nuclear reactor including a reactor pressure vessel and a nuclear reactor core comprising fissile 235U disposed in the reactor pressure vessel, the RCP is suitably disposed on or in the reactor pressure vessel with the impeller of the RCP arranged to engage coolant water disposed in the reactor pressure vessel.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
a reactor coolant pump including:
a stator anda rotating assembly including a rotor, an impeller, and a flywheel, the rotating assembly configured to rotate about an axis of rotation in response to the stator being electrically energized; andwherein the flywheel comprises a first material and has a plurality of cylindrical openings whose axes are mutually parallel and are parallel with the axis of rotation of the rotating assembly, the flywheel further including cylindrical elements of a second material denser than the first material disposed in the cylindrical openings.