Nuclear reactor system with lift-out core assembly

A nuclear power reactor system comprising:

• a reactor vessel comprising:
• a vessel inlet and a vessel outlet disposed coaxially with the vessel inlet;
• and
• a core receptacle defining a central axis and comprising a set of locating datums;
• a set of control drums:
• disposed about a periphery of the core receptacle;
• and
• arranged above the nuclear reactor core and sealed inside of the reactor vessel;
• and
• a set of control drum actuators coupled to the set of control drums, each control drum actuator, in the set of control drum actuators, configured to selectively position and rotate a control drum, in the set of control drums, relative to the core receptacle;
• and
• a nuclear reactor core comprising:
• a moderating core structure comprising:
• a set of prismatic blocks comprising:
• a set of fuel compacts arranged about the central axis of the reactor vessel;
• a set of moderating materials arranged about the central axis of the reactor vessel and adjacent the set of fuel compacts and configured to increase moderation within the moderating core structure proportional to a radial distance from the central axis of the reactor vessel;
• a set of vertical flow channels arranged about the central axis of the reactor vessel and between the set of fuel compacts and configured to pass a working fluid toward the vessel outlet;
• and
• a removable plug arranged along the central axis of the reactor vessel within the moderating core structure;
• and
• a set of locating features configured to mate with the locating datums in the reactor vessel to locate the moderating core structure in the core receptacle and along a flow path between the vessel inlet and the vessel outlet;
• and
• a lift-out support plate configured to vertically support the moderating core structure during insertion of the moderating core structure into the core receptacle at a first time and during removal and replacement of the moderating core structure from the core receptacle at a second time;
• and
• a vessel head configured to removably install on the reactor vessel over the nuclear reactor core to seal the nuclear reactor core and the set of control drums within the reactor vessel.

A nuclear power reactor system comprising:

• a reactor vessel comprising:
• a vessel inlet and a vessel outlet disposed coaxially with the vessel inlet;
• and
• a core receptacle defining a central axis and comprising a set of locating datums;
• a set of control drums:
• disposed about a periphery of the core receptacle;
• and
• arranged above the nuclear reactor core and sealed inside of the reactor vessel;
• a set of control drum actuators coupled to the set of control drums and each control drum actuator in the set of control drum actuators is configured to selectively position and rotate a control drum of the set of control drums, relative to the core receptacle;
• a nuclear reactor core comprising:
• a moderating core structure comprising a set of prismatic blocks that define core structure cross sections assembled to form a set of vertical flow channels configured to pass a working fluid toward the vessel outlet;
• a jacket defining an exoskeletal structure configured to:
• support the set of prismatic blocks during installation of the moderating core structure into the reactor vessel;
• and
• retain the set of prismatic blocks, nested within the moderating core structure, during operation;
• and
• a set of locating features configured to mate with the locating datums in the reactor vessel to locate the moderating core structure in the core receptacle and along a flow path between the vessel inlet and the vessel outlet;
• and
• a lift-out support plate configured to vertically support the moderating core structure during insertion of the moderating core structure into the core receptacle at a first time and during removal and replacement of the moderating core structure from the core receptacle at a second time;
• and
• a vessel head configured to removably install on the reactor vessel over the nuclear reactor core to seal the nuclear reactor core and the set of control drums within the reactor vessel.