Fail-safe reactivity compensation method for a nuclear reactor

Title: Fail-safe reactivity compensation method for a nuclear reactor

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to the field of compensation methods for nuclear reactors and, in particular to a method for fail-safe reactivity compensation in solution-type nuclear reactors. In one embodiment, the fail-safe reactivity compensation method of the present invention augments other control methods for a nuclear reactor. In still another embodiment, the fail-safe reactivity compensation method of the present invention permits one to control a nuclear reaction in a nuclear reactor through a method that does not rely on moving components into or out of a reactor core, nor does the method of the present invention rely on the constant repositioning of control rods within a nuclear reactor in order to maintain a critical state.

Inventors:: Nygaard, Erik T.; Angelo, Peter L.; Aase, Scott B.

Issue Date:: 2018-01-23

Research Org.:: BWX Technologies, Inc., Charlotte, NC (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1417852

Patent Number(s):: 9875818

Application Number:: 13/649,419

Assignee:: BWX Technologies, Inc. (Charlotte, NC)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS

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Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E30/30 - Nuclear fission reactors

G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
G21C7/30 - by displacement of the reactor fuel or fuel elements
G21C3/24 - with fissile or breeder material in fluid form within a non-active casing
G21C1/24 - Homogeneous reactors, i.e. in which the fuel and moderator present an effectively homogeneous medium to the neutrons

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DOE Contract Number:: FC52-09NA29596

Resource Type:: Patent

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 2012 Oct 11

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS

Citation Formats


                    Nygaard, Erik T., Angelo, Peter L., and Aase, Scott B. Fail-safe reactivity compensation method for a nuclear reactor.  United States: N. p., 2018. 
        Web.

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                    Nygaard, Erik T., Angelo, Peter L., & Aase, Scott B. Fail-safe reactivity compensation method for a nuclear reactor.  United States.

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                    Nygaard, Erik T., Angelo, Peter L., and Aase, Scott B. Tue .  
        "Fail-safe reactivity compensation method for a nuclear reactor".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1417852.

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@article{osti_1417852,

  title        = {Fail-safe reactivity compensation method for a nuclear reactor},

  author       = {Nygaard, Erik T. and Angelo, Peter L. and Aase, Scott B.},

  abstractNote = {The present invention relates generally to the field of compensation methods for nuclear reactors and, in particular to a method for fail-safe reactivity compensation in solution-type nuclear reactors. In one embodiment, the fail-safe reactivity compensation method of the present invention augments other control methods for a nuclear reactor. In still another embodiment, the fail-safe reactivity compensation method of the present invention permits one to control a nuclear reaction in a nuclear reactor through a method that does not rely on moving components into or out of a reactor core, nor does the method of the present invention rely on the constant repositioning of control rods within a nuclear reactor in order to maintain a critical state.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2018},

  month        = {1}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

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Reactivity Control Rod For Core, Core Of Nuclear Reactor, Nuclear Reactor And Nuclear Power Plant
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Title: Fail-safe reactivity compensation method for a nuclear reactor

Abstract

Citation Formats

Device For Controlling The Reactivity Of Nuclear Reactors patent, March 1972

Samarium Compensation For Nuclear Reactor Fuel patent, November 1974

Method and apparatus for preventing inadvertent criticality in a nuclear fueled electric powering generating unit patent, April 1986

Reactivity control of nuclear fuel pellets by volumetric redistribution of fissile, fertile and burnable poison material patent, May 1987

Nuclear reactivity control using laser induced polarization patent, November 1991

Method and apparatus for increasing fuel efficiency in nuclear reactors patent, December 1991

Nucleating device patent, August 1992

Medical isotope production reactor patent, January 1997

Self-regulating nuclear power module patent-application, April 2004

Nuclear Reactor Control Rod patent-application, February 2009

Combinatorial Heterogeneous-Homogeneous Reactor patent-application, September 2009

Reactivity Control Rod For Core, Core Of Nuclear Reactor, Nuclear Reactor And Nuclear Power Plant patent-application, March 2010

Device For Controlling The Reactivity Of Nuclear Reactors
patent, March 1972

Samarium Compensation For Nuclear Reactor Fuel
patent, November 1974

Method and apparatus for preventing inadvertent criticality in a nuclear fueled electric powering generating unit
patent, April 1986

Reactivity control of nuclear fuel pellets by volumetric redistribution of fissile, fertile and burnable poison material
patent, May 1987

Nuclear reactivity control using laser induced polarization
patent, November 1991

Method and apparatus for increasing fuel efficiency in nuclear reactors
patent, December 1991

Nucleating device
patent, August 1992

Medical isotope production reactor
patent, January 1997

Self-regulating nuclear power module
patent-application, April 2004

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patent-application, February 2009

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