US 11,875,906 B2
Method of operating a nuclear power plant
David Leblanc, Ottawa (CA)
Assigned to TERRESTRIAL ENERGY INC., Oakville (CA)
Filed by Terrestrial Energy Inc., Oakville (CA)
Filed on Sep. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/950,830.
Application 17/950,830 is a division of application No. 16/037,636, filed on Jul. 17, 2018, granted, now 11,476,008.
Application 16/037,636 is a division of application No. 14/451,703, filed on Aug. 5, 2014, granted, now 10,056,160, issued on Aug. 21, 2018.
Application 14/451,703 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/CA2013/050090, filed on Feb. 6, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/862,378, filed on Aug. 5, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/633,071, filed on Feb. 6, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2023/0111998 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. G21C 17/10 (2006.01); G21C 1/22 (2006.01); G21C 1/32 (2006.01); G21D 3/00 (2006.01); G21D 9/00 (2006.01); G21C 5/02 (2006.01); G21C 17/112 (2006.01); G21C 19/28 (2006.01); G21D 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC G21C 1/22 (2013.01) [G21C 1/322 (2013.01); G21D 3/00 (2013.01); G21D 9/00 (2013.01); G21C 5/02 (2013.01); G21C 17/112 (2013.01); G21C 19/28 (2013.01); G21D 1/00 (2013.01); Y02E 30/30 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
13. A nuclear power plant comprising:
an integral molten salt reactor (IMSR) comprising:
a vessel, the vessel comprising:
a graphite moderator core, the graphite moderator core defining one or more than one through hole;
a molten salt circulating within the vessel and within the one or more than one through hole, the molten salt for receiving heat produced by the IMSR; and
heat exchangers, each heat exchanger defining a volume;
conduits connecting the heat exchangers to an outside the vessel and to an end use system, each conduit comprising a coolant salt circulating within, the coolant salt for receiving heat from the molten salt and providing the heat to the end use system located at the outside of the vessel, the conduits comprising inlet conduits and outlet conduits, each heat exchanger having connected thereto an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit, the inlet conduit to circulate coolant salt away from the heat exchanger to which it is connected, the outlet conduit to circulate coolant salt toward the heat exchanger to which it is connected;
radioactivity detectors, each radioactivity detector having associated thereto a respective heat exchanger;
pressure detectors; and
shutoff mechanisms, each inlet conduit having associated thereto a respective shutoff mechanism, each outlet conduit having associated thereto a respective shutdown mechanism, each radioactivity detector for detecting radioactivity present in the coolant salt circulating in the heat exchanger associated to the respective radioactivity detector, at least one of the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit of each heat exchanger having a respective pressure detector connected thereto, each pressure detector for monitoring pressure of the coolant salt in the inlet conduit or the outlet conduit to which the pressure detector is connected, the shutoff mechanisms to shut off circulation of the coolant salt within the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit of a particular heat exchanger when at least one of:
(a) the radioactivity in the particular heat exchanger exceeds a pre-determined threshold amount, and
(b) the pressure in the at least one of the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit of the particular heat exchanger changes, wherein in the event that the shutoff mechanism shuts down the particular heat exchanger, the remaining heat exchangers still function and the IMSR continues to operate.