Abstract:
A MOLTEN-SALT-FUELED GRAPHITE-MODERATED NUCLEAR BREEDER REACTOR CHARACTERIZED BY A SINGLE SALT MIXTURE CONTAINING BOTH FISSILE AND FERTILE MATERIAL WHICH SERVES AS BOTH FUEL AND BLANKET FLUID. THE REACTOR IS DIVIDED INTO CORE AND THE BLANKET REGIONS WHICH ARE DISTINGUISHED BY THE DEGREE OF NEUTRON MODERATION PROVIDED THEREIN. THE DEGREE OF NEUTRON MODERATION IN THE CORE AND BLANKET REGIONS MAY BE VARIED BY VARYING THE VOLUME FRACTION OF SALT MIXTURE PRESENT IN THE EACH REGION, BY VARYING THE DENSITY OF THE GRAPHITE MODERATOR IN EACH REGION, OR BY A COMBINATION OF THE TWO METHODS. THE COMPOSITION OF THE SALT MIXTURE AND THE NEUTRON MODERATION PROVIDED IN EACH REGION ARE SELECTED SO THAT NEUTRON ADSORPTION BY THE FISSILE MATERIAL PREDOMINATES IN THE CORE AND ABSORPTION OF NEUTRONS BY THE FERTILE MATERIAL PREDOMINATES IN THE BLANKET REGION.
Abstract:
A SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A NUCLEAR REACTOR UTILIZING PRESSUREIZED COOLANT FOR RAISING CONTROL RODS OUT OF THE REACTOR CORE. THE SYSTEM POSITIONS INDIVIDUAL CONTROL RODS OR GROUPS THEREOF IN EITHER AN ALL-IN OR AN ALL-OUT POSITION, AND INCORPORATES MEANS FOR ASSURING FAIL-SAFE OPERATION AND FOR POSITION INDICATION OF THE RODS. THE SIMPLICITY OF THE SYSTEM MAKES IT FEASIBLE TO PROVIDE A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF WEAK CONTROL RODS TO PERMIT ALL-IN OR ALL-OUT OPERATION WITHOUT EXCESSIVE INCREMENTS OF REACTIVITY. THE INDIVIDUAL CONTROL RODS IN LARGE THERMAL REACTORS, FOR EXAMPLE MAY BE OPERATED IN GROUPS WIDELY DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THE CORE, SUFFICIENTLY SPACED THAT THE RODS HAVE LITTLE OR NO INTERACTION; WHILE A FAST REACTOR IS MUCH MORE CLOSELY-COUPLED. WHILE THIS SYSTEM IS PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO SODIUM-COOLED FAST REACTORS, IT CAN BE ADAPTED TO OTHER TYPES OF REACTORS.
Abstract:
While the described systems can include any suitable component, in some cases, they include a graphite reactor core defining an internal space that, in some cases, houses one or more fuel wedges, where each wedge defines one or more fuel channels that extend from a first end to a second end of the wedge. In some cases, one or more of the fuel wedges comprise multiple wedge sections that are coupled together end to end and/or in any other suitable manner. In some cases, one or more alignment pins also extend between two sections of a fuel wedge to align the sections. In some cases, one or more seals are also disposed between two sections of a fuel wedge. Thus, in some cases, the reactor core can be relatively long (e.g., to be a pipeline reactor). In some cases, the reactor core is also disposed within a graphite reflector. Other implementations are described.
Abstract:
The present invention generally relates to a nuclear reactor, comprising a reactor core, neutron reflectors surrounding the core on all sides, uranium oxide as reactor fuel and a coolant that is liquid at proces conditions and solid at room temperature. The invention is characterized in that the nuclear reactor comprises a thermal isolation which is impermeable for the coolant, which is of a different material than the coolant and which has a melting point higher than the temperature in the reactor, in such a way that the thermal isolation is surrounding the reactor core and the neutron reflectors on all sides in order to provide a leak-tight containment function. Therefore the phenomenon is being used that the temperature on the outside of the installation is always far below the melting point of the coolant, in such a way that the coolant solidifies on the outside of the installation under all possible circumstances. The heating channels, which are preferably embedded in the reflectors, contain heating elements for heating the reactor core to a temperature higher than the melting point of the coolant before the reactor is filled with the coolant and before the start up of the reactor begins. The whole primary system of the installation may fit in a transportable container.