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公开(公告)号：US20230023052A1
公开(公告)日：2023-01-26
申请号：US17887083
申请日：2022-08-12
发明人： Francesco Venneri , Danyal Turkoglu , Michael John Eades , Christopher Morrison , Paolo Francesco Venneri
摘要： A chargeable atomic battery (CAB), such as a fully ceramic encapsulated radioactive heat source, includes a plurality of CAB units and a CAB housing to hold the plurality of CAB units. Each of the CAB units are formed of a precursor compact including precursor material particles embedded inside an encapsulation material. The precursor material particles include a precursor kernel formed of a precursor material that is initially manufactured in a stable state or an unstable state and convertible into an activated material that is an activated state via irradiation by a particle radiation source. The precursor material particles can include one or more encapsulation coatings surrounding the precursor kernel. The precursor material can include Neptunium-237 and the activated material can include Plutonium-238. A radioisotope thermoelectric generator can include thermoelectrics coupled to the CAB units to convert radioactive emissions of the activated material into electrical power.
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公开(公告)号：US20230051201A1
公开(公告)日：2023-02-16
申请号：US17785690
申请日：2021-02-07
发明人： Michael John Eades , Christopher Morrison , Paolo Francesco Venneri , Wesley Deason , Mark Reed
摘要： A chargeable atomic battery (CAB) includes a plurality of CAB units and a CAB housing to hold the plurality of CAB units. Each of the CAB units are formed of a precursor compact including precursor material particles embedded inside an encapsulation material. The precursor material particles include a precursor kernel formed of a precursor material that is initially manufactured in a stable state and convertible into an activated material that is an activated state via atomic irradiation by a particle radiation source. Upon the precursor material being converted, the precursor material is in a partially depleted state such that an initial portion of the precursor material is depleted and a recharge portion of the precursor material is convertible into the activated state via atomic irradiation by the particle radiation source for recharging the chargeable atomic battery.
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3.发明授权公开(公告)号：US11417437B2
公开(公告)日：2022-08-16
申请号：US16818320
申请日：2020-03-13
IPC分类号： G21D5/02 , B64G1/40 , G21C5/02 , G21C15/08 , G21C3/62 , G21C3/38 , G21C15/06 , G21C3/64 , G21C7/04
摘要： Passive reactivity control technologies that enable reactivity control of a nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) system with little to no active mechanical movement of circumferential control drums. By minimizing or eliminating the need for mechanical movement of the circumferential control drums during an NTP burn, the reactivity control technologies simplify controlling an NTP reactor and increase the overall performance of the NTP system. The reactivity control technologies mitigate and counteract the effects of xenon, the dominant fission product contributing to reactivity transients. Examples of reactivity control technologies include, employing burnable neutron poisons, tuning hydrogen pressure, adjusting wait time between burn cycles or merging burn cycles, and enhancement of temperature feedback mechanisms. The reactivity control technologies are applicable to low-enriched uranium NTP systems, including graphite composite fueled and tungsten ceramic and metal matrix (CERMET), or any moderated NTP system, such as highly-enriched uranium graphite composite NTP systems.
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公开(公告)号：US11264141B2
公开(公告)日：2022-03-01
申请号：US16254019
申请日：2019-01-22
摘要： A composite moderator medium for nuclear reactor systems and a method of fabricating a composite moderator block formed of the composite moderator medium. The composite moderator medium includes two or more moderators, such as a low moderating material and a high moderating material. The high moderating material has a higher neutron slowing down power compared to the low moderating material. The low moderating material includes a moderating matrix of silicon carbide or magnesium oxide. The high moderating material is dispersed within the moderating matrix and includes beryllium, boron, or a compound thereof. The high moderating material is encapsulated within the low moderating material such that the high moderating material is not exposed outside of the low moderating material. The method can include selecting a sintering aid and a weight percent of the sintering aid in a composite moderator mixture based on the low moderating material and spark plasma sintering.
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公开(公告)号：US20230024338A1
公开(公告)日：2023-01-26
申请号：US17785313
申请日：2021-01-25
发明人： Mark Reed , Michael John Eades , Paolo Francesco Venneri , Vishal Patel , Wesley Deason , Richard J. Kapernick
摘要： A nuclear reactor core includes a plurality of fuel elements and a skewed-pin moderator block array of skewed-pin moderator blocks to form a nuclear reactor core inner portion and a nuclear reactor core outer portion. The nuclear reactor core inner portion includes an inner moderator matrix formed of a plurality of inner holes that include a plurality of inner fuel openings with one or more fuel elements disposed therein. The plurality of inner holes further include a plurality of inner coolant passages to flow a coolant. The nuclear reactor core outer portion includes an outer moderator matrix formed of a plurality of outer holes that include a plurality of outer fuel openings with one or more fuel elements disposed therein. The plurality of outer holes further include a plurality of outer coolant passages to flow the coolant. The inner holes are irregularly spaced with respect to the outer holes.
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公开(公告)号：US20220375641A1
公开(公告)日：2022-11-24
申请号：US17868302
申请日：2022-07-19
摘要： Passive reactivity control technologies that enable reactivity control of a nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) system with little to no active mechanical movement of circumferential control drums. By minimizing or eliminating the need for mechanical movement of the circumferential control drums during an NTP burn, the reactivity control technologies simplify controlling an NTP reactor and increase the overall performance of the NTP system. The reactivity control technologies mitigate and counteract the effects of xenon, the dominant fission product contributing to reactivity transients. Examples of reactivity control technologies include, employing burnable neutron poisons, tuning hydrogen pressure, adjusting wait time between burn cycles or merging burn cycles, and enhancement of temperature feedback mechanisms. The reactivity control technologies are applicable to low-enriched uranium NTP systems, including graphite composite fueled and tungsten ceramic and metal matrix (CERMET), or any moderated NTP system, such as highly-enriched uranium graphite composite NTP systems.
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公开(公告)号：US20220139578A1
公开(公告)日：2022-05-05
申请号：US17580121
申请日：2022-01-20
摘要： A composite moderator medium for nuclear reactor systems and a method of fabricating a composite moderator block formed of the composite moderator medium. The composite moderator medium includes two or more moderators, such as a low moderating material and a high moderating material. The high moderating material has a higher neutron slowing down power compared to the low moderating material. The low moderating material includes a moderating matrix of silicon carbide or magnesium oxide. The high moderating material is dispersed within the moderating matrix and includes beryllium, boron, or a compound thereof. The high moderating material is encapsulated within the low moderating material such that the high moderating material is not exposed outside of the low moderating material. The method can include selecting a sintering aid and a weight percent of the sintering aid in a composite moderator mixture based on the low moderating material and spark plasma sintering.
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