Control drum for a mobile nuclear reactor
AssigneeGE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC
InventorDennis Scott Nelson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various example embodiments are directed towards an improved control drum, as well as systems, apparatuses, and/or methods for operating a nuclear reactor with a plurality of improved control drums. The control drum includes an outer shell, an inner shell, a plurality of tubes, the plurality of tubes including at least one neutron absorbing tube and at least one neutron scattering tube, and at least one baffle plate arranged between the outer shell and the inner shell, the at least one baffle plate including a plurality of perforations, and at least one perforation of the plurality of perforations configured to support a tube of the plurality of tubes.
Claims20
A system including at least one control drum for a nuclear reactor, the at least one control drum comprising:
- an outer shell;
- an inner shell;
- a plurality of tubes, the plurality of tubes including at least one neutron absorbing tube and at least one neutron scattering tube,
- the at least one neutron absorbing tube configured to contain neutron absorbing material, the neutron absorbing material including at least one of boron material, carbide material, hafnium material, gadolinium material, or any combinations thereof, and
- the at least one neutron scattering tube configured to contain neutron scattering material, the neutron scattering material including at least one of beryllium material, graphite material, europium material, or any combinations thereof;
- and
- the at least one baffle plate including a plurality of perforations, wherein each perforation of the plurality of perforations is configured to receive and support a corresponding tube of the plurality of tubes.
A nuclear reactor comprising:
- a plurality of nuclear fuel rods;
- a plurality of control drums, each control drum of the plurality of control drums attached to a drive shaft of a plurality of drive shafts, and at least one control drum of the plurality of control drums includes,
- a plurality of tubes, the plurality of tubes including at least one neutron absorbing tube and at least one neutron scattering tube,
- the at least one neutron absorbing tube configured to contain neutron absorbing material, the neutron absorbing material including at least one of boron material, carbide material, hafnium material, gadolinium material, or any combinations thereof, and
- the at least one neutron scattering tube configured to contain neutron scattering material, the neutron scattering material including at least one of beryllium material, graphite material, europium material, or any combinations thereof, and
- at least one baffle plate arranged between an outer shell and an inner shell, the at least one baffle plate including a plurality of perforations, wherein each perforation of the plurality of perforations is configured to receive and support a corresponding tube of the plurality of tubes;
- and
- a plurality of motors attached to the plurality of drive shafts, at least one motor of the plurality of motors configured to rotate the at least one control drum such that the at least one neutron absorbing tube of the at least one control drum faces the plurality of nuclear fuel rods during a first state, and the at least one neutron scattering tube of the at least one control drum faces the plurality of nuclear fuel rods during a second state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.