Flux-shifting reactivity control system
AssigneeTerraPower, LLC
InventorJesse R. Cheatham, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A control assembly for a nuclear reactor includes a first reactivity control assembly having a first neutron modifying material, a second reactivity control assembly having a second neutron modifying material, and at least one drive mechanism coupled to the first neutron modifying material and the second neutron modifying material. The first neutron modifying material and the second neutron modifying material are selectively repositionable relative to a fuel region of the nuclear reactor. The at least one drive mechanism is configured to provide the first neutron modifying material and the second neutron modifying material in different directions through the fuel region thereby shifting a flux distribution within the fuel region away from the second neutron modifying material.
Claims19
A method comprising:
- sustaining a nuclear fission reaction within a fuel region of a nuclear reactor core, the nuclear reactor core having first moveable control assemblies insertable into a first side of the fuel region of the nuclear reactor core and second control assemblies insertable into a second opposing side of the fuel region of the nuclear reactor core, wherein the sustaining operation includes
- moving at least one assembly of the first and second control assemblies into a first insertion configuration of the first and second control assemblies within the fuel region of the nuclear reactor core;
- and
- moving at least one assembly of the first and second control assemblies into a second insertion configuration of the first and second control assemblies within the fuel region of the nuclear reactor core, wherein the first and the second insertion configurations sustain the nuclear fission reaction;
- and
- moving at least one assembly of the first control assemblies and at least one assembly of the second control assemblies in at least a first direction, wherein the distance between the at least one moved assembly of the first control assemblies and the at least one moved assembly of the second control assemblies remains substantially constant during the moving operation.
A method of controlling a nuclear fission deflagration wave, comprising:
- sustaining a nuclear fission reaction within a fuel region of a nuclear reactor core, the nuclear reactor core having first moveable control assemblies insertable into a first side of the fuel region of the nuclear reactor core and second control assemblies insertable into a second opposing side of the fuel region of the nuclear reactor core,
- determining a target flux distribution profile;
- shifting a flux distribution within the fuel region toward the target flux distribution profile by:
- moving one or more of the first moveable control assemblies from a first insertion configuration to a second insertion configuration;
- and
- moving one or more of the second moveable control assemblies from a third insertion configuration to a fourth insertion configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.