A system uses nuclear fuel decay heat to heat a building. The system includes a plurality of fluidly-isolated but thermally-coupled heat removal flow loops that operate in tandem to absorb thermal energy originating from water in a spent nuclear fuel pool located in the building. The thermal energy is transferred in a cascading manner from a first flow loop to a final flow loop which has an external heat sink located outside the building. The heat sink can transfer heat to an ambient environment. A controller regulates the intake and flowrate of cooling water into the final flow loop. The controller also monitors fuel pool water temperature and air temperature inside the building. The controller can regulate the flowrate to maintain a predetermined building air temperature by allowing the fuel pool water temperature to rise to near a maximum permissible limit.

While the described systems can include any suitable component, in some cases, they include a graphite reactor core defining an internal space that, in some cases, houses one or more fuel wedges, where each wedge defines one or more fuel channels that extend from a first end to a second end of the wedge. In some cases, one or more of the fuel wedges comprise multiple wedge sections that are coupled together end to end and/or in any other suitable manner. In some cases, one or more alignment pins also extend between two sections of a fuel wedge to align the sections. In some cases, one or more seals are also disposed between two sections of a fuel wedge. Thus, in some cases, the reactor core can be relatively long (e.g., to be a pipeline reactor). In some cases, the reactor core is also disposed within a graphite reflector. Other implementations are described.

Systems and methods for providing and using molten salt reactors are described. While the systems can include any suitable component, in some cases, they include a graphite reactor core defining an internal space that houses one or more fuel wedges, where each wedge defines one or more fuel channels that extend from a first end to a second end of the wedge. In some cases, one or more of the fuel wedges comprise multiple wedge sections that are coupled together end to end and/or in any other suitable manner. In some cases, one or more alignment pins also extend between two sections of a fuel wedge to align the sections. In some cases, one or more seals are also disposed between two sections of a fuel wedge. Thus, in some cases, the reactor core can be relatively long (e.g., to be a pipeline reactor). Other implementations are also described.

Apparatus for the production of carbon dioxide from limestone includes a nuclear reactor (10) for generating heat and a rotary kiln (12). The rotary kiln (12) has an inlet (28) for the introduction of limestone and an outlet (30) for the release of carbon dioxide. A heat transfer arrangement is provided for transferring heat from the nuclear reactor (10) to the interior of the rotary kiln (12). The heat transfer arrangement includes feed and return primary conduits (17,18) for passing a heat transfer fluid (14) through the nuclear reactor (10) so that heat may be extracted from the nuclear reactor (10) for transfer to the interior of the rotary kiln (12). Limestone in the rotary kiln (12) is thereby heated to a temperature sufficient for the release of carbon dioxide.

Systems and methods for providing a molten salt reactor are described. While the systems can include any suitable component, in some cases, they include a graphite reactor core that defines an internal space, with multiple fuel wedges being received in the internal space, and with the wedges each defining a fuel channel extending from a first end to a second end of each of the wedges. In some cases, the reactor further includes a fuel pin rod that defines an internal fuel conduit and that is disposed between at least two of the wedges. In some cases, the reactor core defines a fuel ingress port and a fuel egress port. In some such cases, the reactor core is rotatably received within a reactor housing such that the ports are configured to become at least one of more occluded and less occluded as the reactor core rotates. Other implementations are described.

Provided in the present disclosure is a control system for a heat supply apparatus of a nuclear power plant, comprising: a first-stage pressure measurement means configured for measuring a first-stage pressure of a turbine to obtain a first-stage pressure signal; a high-exhaust pressure measurement means configured for measuring an exhaust pressure of a turbine high-pressure cylinder to obtain an exhaust pressure signal; a steam extraction heating flow rate measurement means configured for measuring a steam extraction heating flow rate to obtain a steam extraction heating flow rate signal; a data acquisition module configured for acquiring and transmitting the measured first-stage pressure signal, the measured exhaust pressure signal and the measured steam extraction heating flow rate signal to a core operation processing module; the core operation processing module; and a the signal output module.

Nuclear energy integrated hydrocarbon operation systems include a well site having a subsurface hydrocarbon well configured to produce a produced water output. The system further includes a deployable nuclear reactor system configured to produce a heat output. The system may further include a deployable desalination unit configured to produce a desalinated water output using the produced water output of the subsurface hydrocarbon well and the heat output of the deployable nuclear reactor. The system may further include a deployable off-gas processing system configured to produce an industrial chemical using the off-gas output of the subsurface hydrocarbon well and the heat output of the deployable nuclear reactor.

Nuclear energy integrated hydrocarbon operation systems include a well site having a subsurface hydrocarbon well configured to produce a produced water output. The system further includes a deployable nuclear reactor system configured to produce a heat output. The system may further include a deployable desalination unit configured to produce a desalinated water output using the produced water output of the subsurface hydrocarbon well and the heat output of the deployable nuclear reactor. The system may further include a deployable off-gas processing system configured to produce an industrial chemical using the off-gas output of the subsurface hydrocarbon well and the heat output of the deployable nuclear reactor.

Pre-ceramic particle solutions can prepared by a Coordinated-PDC process, a Direct-PDC process or a Coordinated-Direct-PDC process. The pre-ceramic particle solution includes a polymer selected from the group consisting of (i) an organic polymer including a metal or metalloid cation, (ii) a first organometallic polymer and (iii) a second organometallic polymer including a metal or metalloid cation different from a metal in the second organometallic polymer, a plurality of particles selected from the group consisting of (a) a ceramic fuel particle and (b) a moderator particle, a dispersant, and a polymerization initiator. The pre-ceramic particle solution can be supplied to an additive manufacturing process, such as digital light projection, and made into a structure (which is pre-ceramic particle green body) that can then be debinded to form a polymer-derived ceramic sintered body. In some embodiments, the polymer-derived ceramic sintered body is a component or structure for fission reactors.

Integrated energy systems, such as for use in enhanced oil recovery operations, and associated devices and methods are described herein. A representative integrated energy system can include a power plant system having multiple modular nuclear reactors. The nuclear reactors can generate steam for direct industrial use or for use in an electrical power conversion system to generate electricity. Individual ones of the nuclear reactors can be configured to generate steam or electricity based on the requirements of different stages of the oil recovery operation. For example, during a first stage, a subset of the nuclear reactors can be configured to generate steam for the oil recovery operation for injection into an oil reservoir. During a second stage, some or all of the nuclear reactors in the subset can be reconfigured to generate electricity that can be routed to an industrial process different than the oil recovery operation.