Molten fuel nuclear reactor with neutron reflecting coolant

A nuclear reactor comprising:

• a nuclear reactor core volume configured to hold molten fuel salt during a sustained nuclear fission reaction;
• a neutron reflector assembly of a plurality of reflector elements separated by an interstitial space within a reflector volume surrounding the nuclear reactor core volume, the interstitial space configured to hold molten fuel salt;
• a fixed core barrel between the nuclear reactor core volume and the neutron reflector assembly;
• and
• the neutron reflector assembly being further configured to adjust fast neutron flux and thermal neutron flux within the nuclear reactor core volume by altering reflectivity characteristics of reflector material in the reflector elements;
• wherein each reflector element is a reflector tube containing at least some neutron reflecting material and the interstitial space is separated from the nuclear reactor core by the fixed core barrel;
• and
• wherein at least one of the reflector tubes is rotatable.

A nuclear reactor comprising:

• a nuclear reactor core volume configured to hold molten fuel salt during a sustained nuclear fission reaction;
• a neutron reflector assembly of a plurality of reflector elements separated by an interstitial space within a reflector volume surrounding the nuclear reactor core volume, the interstitial space configured to hold molten fuel salt;
• a fixed core barrel between the nuclear reactor core volume and the neutron reflector assembly;
• and
• the neutron reflector assembly being further configured to adjust fast neutron flux and thermal neutron flux within the nuclear reactor core volume by altering reflectivity characteristics of reflector material in the reflector elements;
• wherein each reflector element is a reflector tube containing at least some neutron reflecting material and the interstitial space is separated from the nuclear reactor core by the fixed core barrel;
• and
• wherein at least two of the reflector tubes in the plurality of reflector elements have different radius values.

A nuclear reactor comprising:

• a nuclear reactor core volume configured to hold molten fuel salt during a sustained nuclear fission reaction;
• a neutron reflector assembly of a plurality of reflector elements separated by an interstitial space within a reflector volume surrounding the nuclear reactor core volume, the interstitial space configured to hold molten fuel salt;
• a fixed core barrel between the nuclear reactor core volume and the neutron reflector assembly;
• and
• the neutron reflector assembly being further configured to adjust fast neutron flux and thermal neutron flux within the nuclear reactor core volume by altering reflectivity characteristics of reflector material in the reflector elements;
• wherein the core barrel is arranged to allow molten fuel salt to pass between the reactor core volume and the interstitial space between the reflector elements in the reflector volume.