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US 8,472,581 B2Granted
Reactor vessel reflector with integrated flow-through
AssigneeNuScale Power, LLC
InventorEric Paul Young
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A nuclear reactor module includes a reactor core and a reactor housing that surrounds the reactor core about its sides, wherein the reactor housing is configured to direct coolant through the reactor core. A neutron reflector is located between the reactor core and the reactor housing, wherein the neutron reflector has a plurality of inlet ports facing the reactor core. The neutron reflector also has a plurality of outlet ports fluidly connected to the inlet ports to direct a portion of the coolant through the neutron reflector.
Claims22
A power module comprising:
- a reactor core having horizontal and vertical surfaces;
- and
- a reflector partially surrounding the vertical surfaces of the reactor core to improve a neutron efficiency of the power module, wherein the reflector comprises one or more inlets located in the vertical surfaces adjacent the reactor core, and wherein the one or more inlets are configured to receive coolant that has passed through at least a portion of the reactor core prior to entering the one or more inlets, and wherein
- the reflector comprises a plurality of horizontal plates, and wherein the horizontal plates adjacent a bottom portion of the reflector are thinner than the horizontal plates adjacent a top portion of the reflector.
1 more element
A nuclear reactor module comprising:
- a reactor core;
- a reactor housing that surrounds the reactor core about the sides of the reactor core, wherein the reactor housing is configured to direct coolant through the reactor core;
- and
- a neutron reflector located between the reactor core and the reactor housing, wherein the neutron reflector includes a plurality of inlet ports facing the reactor core, and wherein the neutron reflector further includes a plurality of outlet ports fluidly connected to the inlet ports to direct a portion of the coolant through the neutron reflector, wherein
- the neutron reflector comprises a plurality of plates layered together, wherein a channel is formed between adjacent plates of the neutron reflector, and wherein the channel fluidly connects an inlet port to an outlet port, and
- wherein at least some of the plurality of plates have different thicknesses, and wherein distance between inlet ports increases adjacent a top portion of the reflector and decreases adjacent a bottom portion of the reflector.
3 more elements
A power module comprising:
- a reactor core comprising a lateral surface, a first end surface, a second end surface, and a flow path defined between and through the first and second end surfaces;
- and
- a reflector at least partially surrounding the lateral surface of the reactor core and comprising at least two fluid circuits defined through the reflector, at least one of the fluid circuits comprising a portion that is transverse to the flow path, the at least two fluid circuits fluidly coupled between a portion of the flow path between the first and second end surfaces of the reactor core and a portion of the flow path that exits the reactor core at the second end surface of the reactor core.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.