Bubble-enhanced natural convection reactor flow
OwnerKevin Clarno, Steven Biegalski +3inventors
InventorsKevin Clarno, Steven Biegalski, Mark Kimber, Derek Haas, Pavel Tsvetkov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integral molten salt reactor may include a subcritical region and a critical region. The subcritical region may define a subcritical volume for the storage of the fuel salt away from a reactor core. The critical region may define a critical volume for fission reactions and for circulation of a fuel salt through a fuel salt circuit of the critical volume. The critical region may be configured to promote the circulation of fuel salt by injecting inert gas bubbles into an elevated temperature flow of the fuel salt in the fuel salt circuit.
Claims20
An integral molten salt reactor comprising
- a subcritical region defining a subcritical volume for the storage of the fuel salt away from a reactor core;
- and
- a critical region defining a critical volume for fission reactions and for circulation of a fuel salt through a fuel salt circuit of the critical volume,
- wherein the critical region is configured to promote the circulation of fuel salt by injecting inert gas bubbles into an elevated temperature flow of the fuel salt in the fuel salt circuit.
A method of operating an integral molten salt reactor, the method comprising
- causing fission reactions in a fuel salt in a critical region of an integrally constructed vessel;
- and
- circulating the fuel salt through a fuel salt circuit of the critical region and removing heat therefrom,
- wherein the circulating comprises injecting inert gas bubbles into an elevated temperature flow of the fuel salt in the fuel salt circuit to encourage flow of the fuel salt through the fuel salt circuit.
An integral molten salt reactor comprising
- an integrally constructed vessel defining a critical region;
- a reactor core disposed within the critical region;
- a bubbler disposed at an exit of the reactor core;
- a heat exchanger disposed elevationally above the reactor core, and
- a fuel salt disposed throughout a fuel salt circuit including the reactor core and the heat exchanger,
- wherein the integral molten salt reactor is configured to
- heat the fuel salt via fission reactions caused within the reactor core,
- circulate the fuel salt from the reactor core to the heat exchanger using an inert gas output from the bubbler, and
- export heat from the fuel salt at heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.