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US 10,706,979 B2Granted
Controlling spatial position of a propagating nuclear fission deflagration wave within a burning wavefront heat generating region
AssigneeTerraPower, LLC
InventorsRoderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Exemplary embodiments provide automated nuclear fission reactors and methods for their operation. Exemplary embodiments and aspects include, without limitation, controlling a propagating nuclear deflagration wave within a burning wavefront heat generating region, moveable neutron modifying structures, variable burn-up, programmable nuclear thermostats, fast flux irradiation, temperature-driven surface area/volume ratio neutron absorption, low coolant temperature cores, refueling, and the like.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- controlling spatial position as a function of time of a propagating nuclear deflagration wave within a burning wavefront heat generating region of a nuclear fission reactor core by moving one or more structures containing neutron absorbing materials relative to the burning wavefront heat generating region, wherein at least one of the one or more structures include fertile material as a neutron absorber, wherein controlling the spatial position as a function of time of the propagating nuclear deflagration wave comprises moving the one or more structures relative to the burning wavefront heat generating region to spatially fix the burning wavefront within the nuclear fission reactor core.
A system comprising:
- a nuclear fission reactor core;
- one or more structures including fertile material as a neutron absorber;
- and
- a control system configured to control spatial position as a function of time of a propagating nuclear fission deflagration wave within a burning wavefront heat generating region of the nuclear fission reactor core
- by moving the one or more structures relative to the burning wavefront heat generating region to fix the spatial position of the burning wavefront within the nuclear fission reactor core.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.