Modular nuclear fission reactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9275759-B2
Application number	US-6990708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2008
Priority date	Nov 28, 2006
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

Illustrative embodiments provide modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactors and methods for their operation. Illustrative embodiments and aspects include, without limitation, modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactors, modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor modules, methods of operating a modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor, and the like.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor module comprising:
a nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor core assembly configured to propagate therein a nuclear fission deflagration wave;
a reactor coolant system; and
a reactor core housing, the nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor core assembly being disposed within the reactor core housing, the reactor core housing having:
at least one portion distal the nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor core assembly and being made of a first material that is not neutronically translucent; and
at least one-wall segment proximate the nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor core assembly, the at least one wall segment proximate the nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor core assembly being made of a second material that is different from the first material and that is neutronically translucent, the at least one-wall segment proximate the nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor core assembly being configured to propagate therethrough the nuclear fission deflagration wave.

2. The modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor module of claim 1 , wherein the neutronically translucent material includes material chosen from metal, refractory metal, high-Z metal, ceramic, carbon, composite material, and stainless steel.

3. The modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor module of claim 1 , wherein the reactor coolant system includes a forced circulation reactor coolant system.

4. The modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor module of claim 1 , wherein the nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor core assembly includes a fast spectrum nuclear fission breeder reactor core assembly.

5. The modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor module of claim 1 , wherein the nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor core assembly has three characteristic dimensions each of which is not substantially less than one mean free path for fission inducing neutrons.

6. The modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor module of claim 1 , wherein the nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor core assembly includes nuclear fission fuel material that is inherently subcritical.

7. The modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor module of claim 1 , wherein the nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor core assembly includes a plurality of coolant channels.

8. The modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor module of claim 7 , further comprising:
an inlet plenum coupled to inlets of the coolant channels; and
an outlet plenum coupled to outlets of the coolant channels.

9. The modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor module of claim 8 , further comprising:
cold leg piping coupled to the inlet plenum; and
hot leg piping coupled to the outlet plenum.

10. The modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor module of claim 1 , wherein the nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor core assembly includes fertile nuclear fission fuel material.

11. The modular nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor module of claim 10 , wherein the fertile nuclear fission fuel material includes material chosen from 238 U and 232 Th.

Assignees

• Ahlfeld Charles E
• Gilleland John Rogers
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Mcalees David G
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Odedra Ashok
• Terrapower Llc

Inventors

• Ahlfeld Charles E
• Gilleland John Rogers
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Mcalees David G
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Odedra Ashok

Classifications

• Y02E30/34

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G21C1/026

  Reactors not needing refuelling, i.e. reactors of the type breed-and-burn, e.g. travelling or deflagration wave reactors or seed-blanket reactors · CPC title

• G21C1/30

  Subcritical reactors {; Experimental reactors other than swimming-pool reactors or zero-energy reactors} · CPC title

• G21C1/00 Primary

  Reactor types · CPC title

• Y02E30/30

  Nuclear fission reactors · CPC title