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Patent US10056160
Issued 2018-08-21
Integral Molten Salt Reactor
The present relates to the integration of the primary functional elements of graphite moderator and reactor vessel and/or primary heat exchangers and/or control rods into an integral molten salt nuclear reactor (IMSR). Once the design life of the IMSR is reached, for example, in the range of 3 to 10 years, it is disconnected, removed and replaced as a unit. The spent IMSR functions as the medium or long term storage of the radioactive graphite and/or heat exchangers and/or control rods and/or fuel salt contained in the vessel of the IMSR. The present also relates to a nuclear reactor that has a buffer salt surrounding the nuclear vessel. During normal operation of the nuclear reactor, the nuclear reactor operates at a temperature that is lower than the melting point of the buffer salt and the buffer salt acts as a thermal insulator. Upon loss of external cooling, the temperature of the nuclear reactor increases and melts the buffer salt, which can then transfer heat from the nuclear core to a cooled containment vessel.
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USPTO Full Text Publication >
- 1. A nuclear reactor unit comprising:
a containment vessel; a nuclear reactor located in the containment vessel, the nuclear reactor having a reactor vessel that has a reactor vessel wall; and a buffer salt contained in the containment vessel,
the buffer salt being in thermal contact with the reactor vessel wall,
the nuclear reactor, when running, generating a heat output that produces a first reactor vessel wall temperature,
the buffer salt being in a solid state when at a temperature equal to or below the first reactor vessel wall temperature,
the nuclear reactor, when external cooling is lost, generating heat that produces a second reactor vessel wall temperature greater than the first reactor vessel wall temperature,
the buffer salt absorbing a portion of the decay heat, wherein absorption of the portion of the decay heat raises the temperature of the buffer salt, the buffer salt melting and becoming a liquid buffer salt when at the second reactor wall temperature,
the containment vessel maintaining the liquid salt in thermal contact with the reactor vessel wall.
