Molten fuel nuclear reactor with neutron reflecting coolant
AssigneeTerraPower, LLC
InventorsAnselmo T. Cisneros, Charles Gregory Freeman, Kevin Kramer, Jeffery F. Latkowski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Configurations of molten fuel salt reactors are described that utilize neutron-reflecting coolants or a combination of primary salt coolants and secondary neutron-reflecting coolants. Further configurations are described that circulate liquid neutron-reflecting material around a reactor core to control the neutronics of the reactor. Furthermore, configurations which use the circulating neutron-reflecting material to actively cool the containment vessel are also described.
Claims16
A molten fuel salt nuclear reactor core assembly configurable to operate in either the thermal spectrum or the fast spectrum comprising:
- a set of neutron reflectors, the set of neutron reflectors defining a fast spectrum fuel volume and at least one reflector fuel inlet channel and at least one reflector fuel outlet channel through which cooled molten fuel salt can enter and heated molten fuel salt can exit the fast spectrum fuel volume;
- and
- a set of neutron absorbers sized to fit within the fast spectrum fuel volume, the set of neutron absorbers, when installed in the fast spectrum fuel volume defined by the set of neutron reflectors, defining a thermal spectrum fuel volume and at least one absorber fuel inlet channel and at least one absorber fuel outlet channel through which cooled molten fuel salt can enter and heated molten fuel salt can exit the thermal spectrum fuel volume.
A nuclear reactor comprising:
- a neutron reflector assembly configured to surround a nuclear reactor core volume during a sustained nuclear fission reaction;
- a fixed core barrel between the nuclear reactor core volume and the neutron reflector assembly;
- and
- the neutron reflector assembly being further configured to adjust fast neutron flux and thermal neutron flux within the reactor core by altering reflectivity characteristics of reflector material in the neutron reflector assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.