Terrapower, LLC

Other

Energetics Technologies, LLC

Ehud Greenspan

Lowell L Wood, Jr

Roderick A Hyde

Thomas A Weaver

Joshua C Walter

George Beedon Zimmerman

Charles Whitmer

Robert C Petroski

Nathan P Myhrvold

Charles E Ahlfeld

Kevan D Weaver

Herman D Branover

Shaul L Lesin

Robert R Richardson

Irving Dardik

Tatyana Zilov

Boris A Hachaturov

Dan Gazit

Arik El-Boher

Vitaly Krakov

Illustrative embodiments provide methods and systems for migrating fuel assemblies in a nuclear fission reactor, methods of operating a nuclear fission traveling wave reactor, methods of controlling a nuclear fission traveling wave reactor, systems for controlling a nuclear fission traveling wave reactor, computer software program products for controlling a nuclear fission traveling wave reactor, and nuclear fission traveling wave reactors with systems for migrating fuel assemblies.

Methods and systems for migrating fuel assemblies in a nuclear fission reactor

Illustrative embodiments provide a reactivity control assembly for a nuclear fission reactor, a reactivity control system for a nuclear fission reactor having a fast neutron spectrum, a nuclear fission traveling wave reactor having a fast neutron spectrum, a method of controlling reactivity in a nuclear fission reactor having a fast neutron spectrum, methods of operating a nuclear fission traveling wave reactor having a fast neutron spectrum, a system for controlling reactivity in a nuclear fission reactor having a fast neutron spectrum, a method of determining an application of a controllably movable rod, a system for determining an application of a controllably movable rod, and a computer program product for determining an application of a controllably movable rod.

Systems and methods for controlling reactivity in a nuclear fission reactor

This invention relates to compositions, methods of production and uses of materials for shielding against nuclear radiation. These materials are made of a low density solid hydrogenous material which binds a powder of medium density materials. They are particularly effective for shielding against fission and high energy neutrons, as well as against a combined radiation of neutrons and photons.

Medium density hydrogenous materials for shielding against nuclear

A boiling water nuclear reactor used for the production of electricity includes fuel rods and an assembly of these fuel rods that improve the reactor economics and safety. The fuel assemblies include hydride fuel pellets at selected axial and radial positions in addition to oxide fuel pellets. The hydride fuel functions simultaneously as a fuel and as a moderator. The hydride fuel can be made from different combinations of fissionable materials such as uranium, and hydrides such as zirconium hydride. The hydride fuel (such as U-ZrH.sub.1.6) is substituted for oxide fuel (UO.sub.2) in undermoderated regions of the core. Hydride fuel rods also replace water rods in the fuel assemblies. The use of hydrogen containing fuel rods and fuel assemblies enable flattening the power distribution across the core; reducing the need for power shaping with burnable poisons and control rods; improving the nuclear fuel utilization; increasing the reactor availability; increasing the safety factors for fuel meltdown accidents or, alternatively, increasing the power output from a given size core; reducing the cold shutdown reactivity margin; and reducing the leakage of neutrons from the core.

BWR fuel assembly having oxide and hydride fuel

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Emeryville, CA, United States of America

Ehud Greenspan