US 12,345,240 B1
Nuclear reactor and associated components, systems, and methods
Abderrafi M. Ougouag, Idaho Falls, ID (US); Ramazan S. Sen, Idaho Falls, ID (US); George W. Griffith, Idaho Falls, ID (US); and Yasir Arafat, Idaho Falls, ID (US)
Assigned to Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, Idaho Falls, ID (US)
Filed by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, Idaho Falls, ID (US)
Filed on Jun. 18, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/747,268.
Int. Cl. G21D 3/08 (2006.01); F03G 7/06 (2006.01)
CPC F03G 7/0641 (2021.08) [G21D 3/08 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A nuclear power system comprising:
a nuclear reactor configured to generate heat;
a heat engine operatively coupled to the nuclear reactor, the heat engine configured to convert the heat from the nuclear reactor to mechanical energy;
a generator operatively coupled to the heat engine, the generator configured to generate electricity from the mechanical energy of the heat engine;
a brake coupled to at least one of the heat engine and the generator, the brake configured to restrict movement of the at least one of the heat engine and the generator when there is no electrical load on the generator; and
a heat transfer system surrounding a reactor core of the nuclear reactor, the heat transfer system including:
a volume defined between an inner wall and an outer wall;
a first plurality of fins extending from the inner wall into the volume; and
a second plurality of fins extending from the outer wall into the volume,
wherein the outer wall is configured to move relative to the inner wall and change a distance between the first plurality of fins and the second plurality of fins.