Terrapower, LLC

Ryan Abbott

Anselmo T Cisneros, Jr

Kevin J Kramer

Jon David McWhirter

Jeffery F Latkowski

Charles Gregory Freeman

Daniel Flowers

Mark A Havstad

Christopher J Johns

Brian C Kelleher

Mark R Werner

John R Suyes, Iii

Robert C Petroski

Jesse R Cheatham, Iii

Joshua C Walter

Bassem S El-Dasher

Robert Alan Corbin

Ken Czerwinski

William M Kerlin

James Andrew Roecker

Kent E Wardle

Daniel J Walter

Jesse R Iii Cheatham

Anselmo T Cisneros

Dan Flowers

Jon D Mcwhirter

John R Suyes

Brain C Kelleher

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

A molten chloride fast reactor (MCFR) includes a plurality of reflectors defining a central core having a core geometric center. A flow channel fluidically connected to the central core. The flow channel includes an outlet flow channel downstream of the central core and an inlet flow channel upstream from the central core. A primary heat exchanger (PHX) disposed outside the central core and between the outlet flow channel and the inlet flow channel. The MCFR also includes a decay heat heat exchanger (DHHX). At least a portion of the DHHX is disposed above the core geometric center, and a fuel salt is configured to circulate at least partially through the outlet flow channel, the DHHX, the PHX, the inlet flow channel, and the central core.

Direct heat exchanger for molten chloride fast reactor

This disclosure describes various configurations and components of a molten fuel fast or thermal nuclear reactor in which one or more primary heat exchangers are located above the reactor core of the nuclear reactor.

Removing heat from a nuclear reactor by having molten fuel pass through plural heat exchangers before returning to core

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

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.

Molten fuel nuclear reactor with neutron reflecting coolant

Nuclear reactor configured to have molten fuel pass through plural heat exchangers before returning to core

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Ryan Abbott