US 12,176,113 B1
Moderated nuclear reactor
Robert Stowers Reid, Santa Fe, NM (US)
Assigned to TRIAD NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC, Los Alamos, NM (US)
Filed by Triad National Security, LLC, Los Alamos, NM (US)
Filed on Feb. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/176,752.
Int. Cl. G21C 15/08 (2006.01); G21C 5/02 (2006.01); G21C 15/02 (2006.01); G21C 15/04 (2006.01); G21C 15/257 (2006.01)
CPC G21C 15/08 (2013.01) [G21C 5/02 (2013.01); G21C 15/02 (2013.01); G21C 15/04 (2013.01); G21C 15/257 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A heat pipe cooled nuclear reactor core comprising:
a structural matrix surrounding at least a portion of an array of fuel, at least a portion of an array of primary heat rejection heat pipes, and at least a portion of an array of moderator assemblies,
wherein each moderator assembly of the array of moderator assemblies comprises:
a moderator cooling heat pipe or thermosiphon;
a metal hydride moderator material slowing neutrons from a fission energy range to a lower energy range in the reactor core; and
a multilayer insulation comprising a plurality of gaps, each gap being evacuated or filled with an inert gas,
wherein the metal hydride moderator material surrounds the moderator cooling heat pipe or thermosiphon and the multilayer insulation surrounds the metal hydride moderator material and thermally isolates the metal hydride moderator material and the moderator cooling heat pipe or thermosiphon of each moderator assembly from the structural matrix.