Abstract: Provided is a nuclear reactor having a load following control system in which a nuclear reaction therein is naturally controlled by the generated heat, the nuclear reactor being provided with: a reactor core provided with a plurality of fuel assemblies of metallic fuels containing uranium (U) 235, 238 and/or plutonium (Pu) 239; a primary coolant comprising a liquid metal; a neutron reflector which serves to control the nuclear reaction in the reactor core and is disposed to enclose the periphery of the reactor core; and a mechanism which contains a-liquid or a gas having a thermal expansion coefficient greater than that of the neutron reflector, and converts the coefficient of volumetric expansion into an amount of linear thermal expansion, and, by using same, moves the neutron reflector or adjusts the spacing between the plurality of fuel assemblies.

Abstract: A nuclear power generation system being safe and easily controlled by load following. The nuclear power generation system has a nuclear reactor employing a load following control method. The reactor includes: a fuel assembly reactor core having metallic fuel containing at least one selected from uranium-235, uranium-238 and plutonium-239; a reactor vessel containing the reactor core; metallic sodium loaded into the reactor vessel and heated by the reactor core; and a neutron reflector for achieving criticality in the reactor core with effective multiplication factor of neutrons emitted from the reactor core being maintained at or above about 1. The neutron reflector is coupled to spring or spiral metallic members and utilizing heat deformation in the metallic members due to the temperature in coolant metallic sodium to control the fast neutron reflection efficiency of the neutron reflector.

Abstract: Engineering safety systems always have insufficiencies in terms of safety, and construction of a complete safety system causes installation costs for the safety system to become very high.

Abstract: A molten salt electrolysis tank, comprises: an anode feeder which is equipped with a mechanism for recovering deteriorated contact resistance that takes place between the metal fuel rod and the anode in the course of the anodic electrolysis; a cathode feeder which is controlled so as to have a potential in a range that causes U and/or Pu ions to be reduced to metal; a heating mechanism for locally heating the metal fuel rod and/or an excitation mechanism for bringing the metal fuel rod into a locally excited state; and a solenoid coil or a permanent magnet that is disposed between the anode feeder and the cathode feeder so as to improve separation efficiency of U and/or Pu ions by applying a combination of an electric field and a magnetic field.

Abstract: Provided is a nuclear reactor system and method therefor, for increasing the speed of conversion of a radionuclide to a stable nuclide to reduce radionuclide concentration using thermal neutrons produced by reducing the velocity of fast neutrons, while simultaneously subjecting fast-neutron-induced thermal energy of a primary cooling material to heat exchange with a secondary cooling material in a heat exchanger (7), and feeding the energy to a turbine system to generate power, the system having a nuclear reactor container (1) comprising a first container (11), and a second container (12), a plurality of metal fuel assemblies (22) and a liquid metal, which is the primary cooling material, being disposed in the first container, and the second cooling material capable of dual use as a neutron moderator and a MA radioactivity-extinguishing assembly or FP-extinguishing assembly (24) being loaded in the second container.

Abstract: Provided is a nuclear reactor system and method therefor, for increasing the speed of conversion of a radionuclide to a stable nuclide to reduce radionuclide concentration using thermal neutrons produced by reducing the velocity of fast neutrons, while simultaneously subjecting fast-neutron-induced thermal energy of a primary cooling material to heat exchange with a secondary cooling material in a heat exchanger (7), and feeding the energy to a turbine system to generate power, the system having a nuclear reactor container (1) comprising a first container (11), and a second container (12), a plurality of metal fuel assemblies (22) and a liquid metal, which is the primary cooling material, being disposed in the first container, and the second cooling material capable of dual use as a neutron moderator and a MA radioactivity-extinguishing assembly or FP-extinguishing assembly (24) being loaded in the second container.

Abstract: A molten salt electrolysis tank, comprises: an anode feeder which is equipped with a mechanism for recovering deteriorated contact resistance that takes place between the metal fuel rod and the anode in the course of the anodic electrolysis; a cathode feeder which is controlled so as to have a potential in a range that causes U and/or Pu ions to be reduced to metal; a heating mechanism for locally heating the metal fuel rod and/or an excitation mechanism for bringing the metal fuel rod into a locally excited state; and a solenoid coil or a permanent magnet that is disposed between the anode feeder and the cathode feeder so as to improve separation efficiency of U and/or Pu ions by applying a combination of an electric field and a magnetic field.

Abstract: The present invention provides a small nuclear power generation system being safe and easily controlled by load following, and allowing reductions in manufacturing costs and maintenance and management costs. The small nuclear power generation system has a small nuclear reactor employing a load following control method. The reactor includes: a fuel assembly reactor core 4 having metallic fuel containing one or both of uranium (235, 238) and plutonium-239; a reactor vessel 1 containing the fuel assembly reactor core 4; metallic sodium loaded into the reactor vessel 1 and heated by the fuel assembly reactor core 4; and a neutron reflector 2 for achieving criticality in the reactor core with effective multiplication factor of neutrons emitted from the fuel assembly reactor core 4 being maintained at or above about 1.

Abstract: A storage section stores inching characteristic information. The inching characteristic information defines a relationship between an inching operation quantity and an inching characteristic value. The inching characteristic value is a value dependent on pilot pressure that is reduced through inching control. A computing section references the inching characteristic information to thereby compute, from the inching operation quantity detected by the inching operation quantity detector, a command value to the pilot pressure control valve. In the inching characteristic information, a rate of lowering the inching characteristic value when the inching operation quantity is within a first range is greater than a rate of lowering the inching characteristic value when the inching operation quantity is within a second range greater than the first range.

Abstract: A storage section stores inching characteristic information. The inching characteristic information defines a relationship between an inching operation quantity and an inching characteristic value. The inching characteristic value is a value dependent on pilot pressure that is reduced through inching control. A computing section references the inching characteristic information to thereby compute, from the inching operation quantity detected by the inching operation quantity detector, a command value to the pilot pressure control valve. In the inching characteristic information, a rate of lowering the inching characteristic value when the inching operation quantity is within a first range is greater than a rate of lowering the inching characteristic value when the inching operation quantity is within a second range greater than the first range.

Abstract: A fuel cell comprising: a membrane electrode assembly; an anode current collector which lies near the anode of the membrane electrode assembly and collects electrons generated by the electrochemical reaction; a cathode current collector which lies near the cathode of the membrane electrode assembly and collects electrons consumed by the electrochemical reaction; a first end plate which surface-contacts the anode current collector and supplies the fuel to the anode; a second end plate which surface-contacts the cathode current collector and supplies the oxygen to the cathode; a pressing member which applies pressure to the first end plate and the second end plate to hold the membrane electrode assembly between the anode current collector and the cathode current collector; and an interconnect which is connected with the anode current collector and/or the cathode current collector by the pressure applied by the pressing member and made of a material with higher conductivity than the current collectors.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus is disclosed comprising a voltage detection circuit connected to a smoothing circuit and an AC switch having a low ON-resistance with no offset voltage at current-buildup. The AC switch is further connected to a secondary winding of a current transformer. When an output voltage of the smoothing circuit increases up to a predetermined value, the output voltage is detected by the voltage detection circuit and the AC switch is turned on by an output signal of the voltage detection circuit, whereby the secondary winding of the current transformer is short-circuited.

Abstract: The present invention provides a power supply apparatus comprising a voltage detection circuit connected to a smoothing circuit and an AC switch having a low ON-resistance with no offset voltage at current-buildup and further connected to a secondary winding of a current transformer wherein when an output voltage of the smoothing circuit increases up to a predetermined value the output voltage is detected by the voltage detection circuit and the AC switch is turned on by an output signal of the voltage detection circuit whereby the secondary winding of the current transformer is short-circuited.