Method of constructing a nuclear reactor having reactor core and control elements supported by reactor vessel head
AssigneeTerraPower, LLC
InventorsCharles G Freeman, Calen Kaneko, Christopher A Martin, Sean T Mosier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nuclear reactor is designed to couple the load path of control elements with the reactor core, thus reducing opportunity for differential movement between the control elements and the reactor core. A core barrel can be fabricated in a manufacturing facility to include the reactor core, control element supports, and control element drive system. The core barrel can be mounted to a reactor vessel head. Movement, such as through seismic forces, transmits an equal direction and magnitude to the control elements and the reactor core, thus inhibiting the opportunity for differential movement.
Claims10
A method of constructing a nuclear reactor comprising:
- fabricating, in a manufacturing facility, a reactor vessel;
- fabricating, in the manufacturing facility, a core barrel;
- fabricating, in the manufacturing facility, a reactor core;
- fabricating, in the manufacturing facility, a control element drive system;
- assembling, in the manufacturing facility, the control element drive system and the reactor core within the core barrel to create a core module;
- shipping the core module to a construction site;
- fabricating, in a manufacturing facility, a vessel head configured to be mounted to an upper end of the reactor vessel;
- assembling the vessel head with a control element support structure,
- wherein the control element support structure is mounted to the reactor vessel head,
- wherein the control element support structure is configured to carry one or more control elements;
- and
- assembling the core barrel to the control element support structure,
- wherein the core barrel hangs from the control element support structure,
- wherein the control element support structure is configured to support weight of each of the one or more control elements, the core barrel, and the reactor core.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.