Controllable long term operation of a nuclear reactor
AssigneeSearete LLC, a limited liability corporation of the State of Delaware
InventorsRoderick A. Hyde, Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Lowell L. Wood, JR.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Exemplary embodiments provide automated nuclear fission reactors and methods for their operation. Exemplary embodiments and aspects include, without limitation, re-use of nuclear fission fuel, alternate fuels and fuel geometries, modular fuel cores, fast fluid cooling, variable burn-up, programmable nuclear thermostats, fast flux irradiation, temperature-driven surface area/volume ratio neutron absorption, low coolant temperature cores, refueling, and the like.
Claims21
1-87. (canceled)
A nuclear fission facility comprising:
- a first fast neutron spectrum nuclear fission core assembly;
- a first operational subsystem operatively coupled to the first fast neutron spectrum nuclear fission core assembly;
- a second fast neutron spectrum nuclear fission core assembly;
- a second operational subsystem operatively coupled to the second fast neutron spectrum nuclear fission core assembly;
- and
- a subsystem coupling that operatively couples the first operational subsystem and the second operational subsystem to each other.
A method of cooling a nuclear fission reactor, the method comprising:
- initiating a propagating nuclear fission deflagration wave in a burning wavefront heat generating region of a nuclear fission reactor;
- directing a heat absorbing material into thermal contact with the burning wavefront wave heat generating region;
- flowing the heat absorbing material to a region substantially out of thermal contact with the burning wavefront heat generating region;
- and extracting heat energy from the heat absorbing material at the region substantially out of thermal contact with the burning wavefront heat generating region.
A nuclear fission reactor comprising:
- a burning wavefront heat generating region of a nuclear fission reactor, the burning wavefront heat generating region being configured to initiate and propagate a propagating nuclear fission deflagration wave;
- a heat absorbing material flowable in thermal contact with the burning wavefront wave heat generating region;
- a heat extraction region substantially out of thermal contact with the burning wavefront heat generating region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.