Terrapower, LLC

Charles Gregory Freeman

Kevin J Kramer

Anselmo T Cisneros, Jr

Jeffery F Latkowski

Jon David McWhirter

Ryan Abbott

Mark A Havstad

Daniel Flowers

Christopher J Johns

Calen Kaneko

Christopher A Martin

Sean T Mosier

Brian C Kelleher

Anselmo T Cisneros

Jon D Mcwhirter

John R Suyes, Iii

Ryan Abbot

Robert C Petroski

Jesse R Cheatham, Iii

Joshua C Walter

Pavel Hejzlar

Bassem S El-Dasher

Robert Alan Corbin

Mark R Werner

Ken Czerwinski

William M Kerlin

Daniel L Pierce

David M Lucoff

Thomas E Riordan

Kevin Kramer

Robert A Corbin

Jr Cisneros Anselmo T

Dan Flowers

Jesse R Iii Cheatham

John R Suyes

Jr Anselmo T Cisneros

Brain C Kelleher

Jesse R Cheatham

Ryan Jr Abbot

A nuclear reactor includes a heat exchanger that transfers thermal energy from a primary reactor coolant to a secondary coolant. The heat exchanger is a compact plate heat exchanger and more than one heat exchanger may be spaced about the reactor vessel. A plurality of heat exchangers may be spaced vertically, radially, and/or circumferentially about the reactor vessel. A first heat exchanger may be in fluid communication with a second heat exchanger. Two or more heat exchangers may share a thermal load and therefore share thermal stresses. The heat exchanger may have a third fluid flow path and a third fluid. The third fluid may be used to remove fission products, be used for leak detection, create an oxidation layer to inhibit migration of activation products, and/or provide additional heat transfer.

Heat exchanger configuration for nuclear reactor

A nuclear reactor is designed to couple the load path of the control elements with the reactor core, thus reducing the opportunity for differential movement between the control elements and the reactor core. A cartridge core barrel can be fabricated in a manufacturing facility to include the reactor core, control element supports, and control element drive system. The cartridge core barrel can be mounted to a reactor vessel head. Thus, any movement, such as through seismic forces, transmits an equal direction and magnitude to the control elements and the reactor core. This arrangement reduces the opportunity for differential movement between the control elements and the reactor core.

Method of constructing a nuclear reactor having reactor core and control elements supported by reactor vessel head

A nuclear reactor is designed to couple the load path of control elements with the reactor core, thus reducing opportunity for differential movement between the control elements and the reactor core. A core barrel can be fabricated in a manufacturing facility to include the reactor core, control element supports, and control element drive system. The core barrel can be mounted to a reactor vessel head. Movement, such as through seismic forces, transmits an equal direction and magnitude to the control elements and the reactor core, thus inhibiting the opportunity for differential movement.

A molten fuel salt nuclear reactor core assembly including a fluid neutron reflecting material defining a fast spectrum fuel volume configured to breed fissile fuel from fertile fuel, a first inlet channel, and a first outlet channel through which cooled molten fuel salt can enter and heated molten fuel salt can exit the fast spectrum fuel volume. The core assembly also includes a set of neutron absorbing members sized to fit within the fast spectrum fuel volume. The set of neutron absorbing members define a thermal spectrum fuel volume for a fission reaction of the fissile fuel, a second inlet channel, and a second outlet channel through which cooled molten fuel salt can enter and heated molten fuel salt can exit the thermal spectrum fuel volume.

Molten fuel nuclear reactor

A reflector assembly for a molten chloride fast reactor (MCFR) includes a support structure with a substantially cylindrical base plate, a substantially cylindrical top plate, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs extending between the base plate and the top plate. The support structure is configured to encapsulate a reactor core for containing nuclear fuel. The MCFR also includes a plurality of tube members disposed within the support structure and extending axially between the top plate and the bottom plate. The plurality of tube members are configured to hold at least one reflector material to reflect fission born neutrons back to a center of the reactor core.

Reflectors for molten chloride fast reactors

A nuclear reactor is designed to couple the load path of the control elements with the reactor core, thus reducing the opportunity for differential movement between the control elements and the reactor core. A cartridge core barrel can be fabricated in a manufacturing facility to include the reactor core, control element supports, and control element drive system. The cartridge core barrel can be mounted to a reactor vessel head, and any movement, such as through seismic forces, transmits an equal direction and magnitude to the control elements and the reactor core, thus inhibiting the opportunity for differential movement.

Reactor core and control elements supported by a reactor vessel head

This disclosure describes various configurations and components of a molten fuel fast or thermal nuclear reactor for managing the operating temperature in the reactor core. The disclosure includes various configurations of direct reactor auxiliary cooling system (DRACS) heat exchangers and primary heat exchangers as well as descriptions of improved flow paths for nuclear fuel, primary coolant and DRACS coolant through the reactor components.

Direct reactor auxiliary cooling system for a molten salt nuclear reactor

Configurations of molten fuel salt reactors are described that allow for active cooling of the containment vessel of the reactor by the primary coolant. Furthermore, naturally circulating reactor configurations are described in which the reactor cores are substantially frustum-shaped so that the thermal center of the reactor core is below the outlet of the primary heat exchangers. Heat exchanger configurations are described in which welded components are distanced from the reactor core to reduce the damage caused by neutron flux from the reactor. Radial loop reactor configurations are also described.

Molten fuel reactor thermal management configurations

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. A further configuration is described that utilizes a core barrel between a reactor core volume of molten fuel salt and a reflector volume, in which the reflector volume contains a plurality of individual reflector elements separated by an interstitial space filled with molten fuel salt.

Molten fuel nuclear reactor with neutron reflecting coolant

Configurations of molten fuel salt reactors are described that include an auxiliary cooling system which shared part of the primary coolant loop but allows for passive cooling of decay heat from the reactor. Furthermore, different pump configurations for circulating molten fuel through the reactor core and one or more in vessel heat exchangers are described.

Molten fuel reactor cooling and pump configurations

A dynamic neutron reflector assembly for a 'breed-and-burn' fast reactor incrementally adjusts neutron spectrum and reactivity in a reactor core. The composition of materials in the dynamic neutron reflector may be adjusted to change neutron reflectivity levels, or to introduce neutron moderating or absorption characteristics. The dynamic neutron reflector may contain a flowing reflecting liquid of adjustable volume and/or density. Submergible members may be selectively inserted into the flowing reflecting liquid to alter its volume and introduce other neutron modifying effects such as moderation or absorption. Selective insertion of the submergible members allows for concentration of the neutron modifying effects in a selected portion of the reactor core. The flowing reflecting liquid may also act as a secondary coolant circuit by exchanging heat with the molten fuel salt.

Neutron reflector assembly for dynamic spectrum shifting

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 an 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.

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Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Charles Gregory Freeman