EDN: URGRVU
Authors & Affiliations
Vereshchagina T.N., Loginov N.I., Mikheev A.S., Ulyanov V.V.
A.I. Leypunsky Institute for Physics and Power Engineering, Obninsk, Russia
Vereshchagina T.N. – Сhief Researcher, Dr. Sci. (Tech.).
Loginov N.I. – Сhief Researcher, Dr. Sci. (Tech.). Contacts: 1, pl. Bondarenko, Obninsk, Kaluga region, Russia, 249033. Tel.: +7 (484) 399-70-00 (add.85-55); e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Mikheev A.S. – Senior Researcher.
Ulyanov V.V. – Head of Laboratory.
Abstract
At the State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation – IPPE in 2017–2018 a conceptual design of a nuclear energy source was developed, with ultra-low power in which thermal energy is transferred from the core by heat pipes and converted into electrical energy using a thermophotovoltaic method. Electrical output power up to 100 kW, reactor thermal power up to 1.2 MW. Reactors of this power are classified as microreactors. The project is aimed at solving the problem of sustainable, environmentally friendly and economically feasible energy supply for civil and special-purpose facilities remote from centralized networks, located mainly in the Arctic region of Russia. The essence of the project is to combine the positive qualities of a modular core design, thermal energy transfer by heat pipes and its direct conversion into electrical energy using thermophotovoltaic elements. It is known that microreactors with heat pipes are being actively developed abroad, while the use of thermophotovoltaic converters in a nuclear power plant was proposed for the first time in the world. The development is protected by a number of patents for inventions in Russia and in leading foreign countries. The article provides a brief description of the project and the work currently being carried out with the aim of its experimental justification.
Keywords
nuclear microreactor, heat pipes, lithium, thermophotovoltaic elements, direct conversion, core, module, fuel rod
References
Article Text (PDF, in Russian)
References
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UDC 621.039.52.034.6
Problems of Atomic Science and Technology. Series: Nuclear and Reactor Constants, 2024, no. 4, 4:13
