Devices, systems, and methods for cooling a nuclear reactor with hydride moderators

Abstract

A heat exchanger for cooling a nuclear reactor core is disclosed herein. The heat exchanger can include a first stage including an input configured to receive a working fluid from an external source into the heat exchanger, and a first plenum configured to envelope a moderator heat pipe extending from the nuclear reactor core. The heat exchanger can further include a second stage including an output configured to remove a working fluid from the heat exchanger to the external source, and a second plenum configured to envelope a power heat pipe extending from the nuclear reactor core, wherein the first plenum and the second plenum are in fluid communication and configured such that the external fluid must traverse the first plenum and over the moderator heat pipe before entering the second plenum and traversing over the power heat pipe.