Molten salt reactor that includes multiple fuel wedges that define fuel channels
AssigneeUtah Green Energy Technologies, LLC
InventorM. Sheldon Hansen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for providing a molten salt reactor can include a graphite reactor core that defines an internal space, with multiple fuel wedges being received in the internal space, and with the wedges each defining a fuel channel extending from a first end to a second end of each of the wedges. The reactor can further include a fuel pin rod that defines an internal fuel conduit and that is disposed between at least two of the wedges. The reactor core can also define a fuel ingress port and a fuel egress port. The reactor core can further be rotatably received within a reactor housing such that the ports are configured to become at least one of more occluded and less occluded as the reactor core rotates.
Claims14
A molten salt reactor, comprising:
- a reactor core comprising graphite, the reactor core defining an internal space;
- multiple fuel wedges that each define a fuel channel,
- wherein the fuel wedges are received within the internal space of the reactor core, and
- wherein the fuel channel is configured to allow a fissionable fuel to flow from a first end of each of the wedges to a second end of each of the wedges,
- wherein the reactor core is disposed within a reactor housing,
- wherein the reactor core comprises a fuel ingress port and a fuel egress port, and
- wherein the reactor core is configured to rotate within the housing such that the fuel ingress and egress ports become at least one or more occluded and less occluded as the reactor core rotates.
A molten salt reactor, comprising:
- a reactor core comprising graphite, the reactor core defining an internal space;
- multiple fuel wedges
- that are received within the internal space and
- that each define a fuel channel that is configured to allow a thorium molten salt fuel to flow from a first end to a second end of each of the wedges;
- a fuel pin rod that is disposed between at least two of the wedges,
- the fuel pin rod defining an internal fuel conduit;
- and
- a reactor housing,
- wherein the reactor core further comprises a fuel ingress port and a fuel egress port, and
- wherein the reactor core is rotatably received within the reactor housing such that the fuel ingress and egress ports are configured to become at least one of (i) more occluded and (ii) less occluded as the reactor core rotates within the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.