US 12,444,514 B2
Calibration of power monitors in molten salt reactors
Ryan Kelly, College Station, TX (US); Steven Biegalski, Atlanta, GA (US); Ryan Brownfield, College Station, TX (US); Kraig Farrar, College Station, TX (US); Jonathan Tyler Gates, College Station, TX (US); Derek Haas, Austin, TX (US); Jonathan Scherr, Abilene, TX (US); Jack Shoemate, Abilene, TX (US); and Pavel Tsvetkov, College Station, TX (US)
Assigned to Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX (US); Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta, GA (US); The Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX (US); and Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Austin, TX (US)
Filed by ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY, Abilene, TX (US); GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH CORPORATION, Atlanta, GA (US); The Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX (US); and Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Aug. 6, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/795,873.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/518,021, filed on Aug. 7, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2025/0054648 A1, Feb. 13, 2025
Int. Cl. G21C 17/108 (2006.01); G21C 17/02 (2006.01)
CPC G21C 17/108 (2013.01) [G21C 17/02 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for calibrating nuclear instrumentation of a reactor, the method comprising
starting the reactor and a heat source, the heat source comprising a heater;
subsequent to the starting, heating, by using the heater, the reactor to an operating temperature;
subsequent to the heating, determining whether the reactor is in a critical state;
in response to a determination of the reactor being in a critical state, repeating steps of
reducing the power of the heater by a predetermined amount;
increasing the power of the reactor by changing one or more reactivity settings;
wherein the reducing of the power of the heater and the increasing of the power of the reactor are coordinated to compensate the reduced power from the heater by using the increased power generated by the reactor until the reactor reaches thermal equilibrium;
subsequent to the increasing, calculating the power of the reactor based on a heat transfer function of a plurality of parameters of the reactor;
subsequent to the increasing, measuring, by the nuclear instrumentation, the power of the reactor;
subsequent to the calculating and measuring, calibrating the nuclear instrumentation based on the calculated power of the reactor and the measured power of the reactor;
subsequent to the calibrating, determining the power of the heater is zero and the temperature of the reactor is the operating temperature; and
in response to a determination of the power of the heater being zero and the temperature of the reactor being the operating temperature, deactivating the heater.