Mechanical spectral shift reactor

Patent · Tue May 23 04:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:5832795

Wilson, J F; Sherwood, D G

A spectral shift pressurized-water reactor is described comprising a pressure vessel enclosing a reactor core which includes fissile material fuel, the pressure vessel having an inlet and an outlet for circulating water coolant moderator in heat transfer relationship with the core, the core comprising square-shaped adjacent fuel assemblies vertically disposed therein for generating heat by nuclear fission, and the fuel assemblies having a fuel enrichment which provides a measure of excess reactivity at the beginning of core life which is later drawn upon to lengthen core life; substantially evenly spaced vertical guide tubes disposed in each of the fuel assemblies and adapted to have rod members moved therein and therefrom during reactor operation, and a portion of the guide tubes in each of the fuel assembly disposed in a cross-like configuration along the two diagonals which connect the corners of the square-shaped fuel assemblies; three separate types of rods adapted to be moved into and out of the guide tubes.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
• Patent Number(s): US 4832899
• OSTI ID: 5832795
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210200 -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220400* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Control Systems
CONTAINERS
CONTROL ELEMENTS
DESIGN
ENERGY SOURCES
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL RODS
FUELS
MATERIALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
PRESSURE VESSELS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
SPECTRAL SHIFT
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS