Reactor design with controlled thermal neutron flux for enhanced neutron activation potential

A method to assemble a thermal neutron reactor core, the method comprising:

• assembling a plurality of fuel rods, each fuel rod extending parallel to a longitudinally extending central axis of the thermal neutron reactor core and including a composite fuel composition enclosed within a primary containment barrier, wherein the primary containment barrier comprises a seamless cladding tube, a first end cap at a first longitudinal end of the fuel rods, and a second end cap at a second longitudinal end of the fuel rods;
• distributing a plurality of intermediate support plates along a longitudinal length of the plurality of fuel rods between the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end and attaching each of the plurality of fuel rods to each intermediate support plate, wherein the intermediate support plate includes a plurality of openings extending across a thickness of the respective intermediate support plate from a first side to a second side of the respective intermediate support plate, and wherein, in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinally extending central axis of the thermal neutron reactor core, the plurality of fuel rods are located at nodes of a hexagonal pitch arrangement;
• attaching each of the plurality of fuel rods to a first end plate located at the first longitudinal end of the thermal neutron reactor core, the first end plate including a plurality of openings extending across a thickness of the respective intermediate support plate from a first side to a second side of the first end plate, wherein each of the plurality of fuel rods is attached to the first end plate by a first interfacing structure;
• and
• attaching each of the plurality of fuel rods to a second end plate located at the second longitudinal end of the thermal neutron reactor core, the second end plate including a plurality of openings extending across a thickness of the respective intermediate support plate from a first side to a second side of the second end plate, wherein each of the plurality of fuel rods is attached to the second end plate by a second interfacing structure,
• wherein the nodes are in a spaced-apart arrangement with the openings between the nodes, the openings forming part of a flow path through the thermal neutron reactor core extending from the first end plate to the second end plate, and
• wherein at least two of the nodes of the hexagonal pitch arrangement are sized to allow insertion, translation, removal, or a combination thereof of auxiliary equipment.