Mechanical design of a light water breeder reactor

Patent · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:862542

Jones, Daniel S ^[1]; Kolsun, George J ^[1]; Erbes, John G ^[2]; Brennan, John J ^[3]; Weissburg, James A ^[1]; Sharbaugh, John E ^[4]

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1. Pittsburgh, PA
2. San Jose, CA
3. Bethel Park, PA
4. Acme, PA

In a light water reactor system using the thorium-232 -- uranium-233 fuel system in a seed-blanket modular core configuration having the modules arranged in a symmetrical array surrounded by a reflector blanket region, the seed regions are disposed for a longitudinal movement between the fixed or stationary blanket region which surrounds each seed region. Control of the reactor is obtained by moving the inner seed region thus changing the geometry of the reactor, and thereby changing the leakage of neutrons from the relatively small seed region into the blanket region. The mechanical design of the Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) core includes means for axially positioning of movable fuel assemblies to achieve the neutron economy required of a breeder reactor, a structure necessary to adequately support the fuel modules without imposing penalties on the breeding capability, a structure necessary to support fuel rods in a closely packed array and a structure necessary to direct and control the flow of coolant to regions in the core in accordance with the heat transfer requirements.

• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-GEN-14
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States Energy (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 3957575
• OSTI ID: 862542
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/376/976/
accordance
achieve
adequately
arranged
array
assemblies
axially
blanket
blanket region
breeder
breeder reactor
breeding
capability
changing
closely
closely packed
configuration
control
coolant
core
core configuration
design
direct
disposed
economy
fixed
flow
fuel
fuel assemblies
fuel module
fuel modules
fuel rod
fuel rods
geometry
heat
heat transfer
imposing
inner
leakage
light
light water
longitudinal
longitudinal movement
lwbr
means
mechanical
mechanical design
modular
modules
modules arranged
movable
movement
moving
neutron
neutrons
obtained
packed
penalties
positioning
reactor
reflector
region
regions
relatively
required
requirements
rods
seed
seed region
seed regions
seed-blanket
stationary
structure
support
surrounded
surrounds
symmetrical
symmetrical array
thorium-232
transfer
transfer requirements
uranium-233
uranium-233 fuel
water
water breeder
water reactor