Provided is a nuclear reactor having a load following control system in which a nuclear reaction therein is naturally controlled by the generated heat, the nuclear reactor being provided with: a reactor core provided with a plurality of fuel assemblies of metallic fuels containing uranium (U) 235, 238 and/or plutonium (Pu) 239; a primary coolant comprising a liquid metal; a neutron reflector which serves to control the nuclear reaction in the reactor core and is disposed to enclose the periphery of the reactor core; and a mechanism which contains a-liquid or a gas having a thermal expansion coefficient greater than that of the neutron reflector, and converts the coefficient of volumetric expansion into an amount of linear thermal expansion, and, by using same, moves the neutron reflector or adjusts the spacing between the plurality of fuel assemblies.

Provided is a nuclear reactor having a load following control system in which a nuclear reaction therein is naturally controlled by the generated heat, the nuclear reactor being provided with: a reactor core provided with a plurality of fuel assemblies of metallic fuels containing uranium (U) 235, 238 and/or plutonium (Pu) 239; a primary coolant comprising a liquid metal; a neutron reflector which serves to control the nuclear reaction in the reactor core and is disposed to enclose the periphery of the reactor core; and a mechanism which contains a-liquid or a gas having a thermal expansion coefficient greater than that of the neutron reflector, and converts the coefficient of volumetric expansion into an amount of linear thermal expansion, and, by using same, moves the neutron reflector or adjusts the spacing between the plurality of fuel assemblies.

A reactor water radioactivity concentration of a nuclear power plant can be predicted with high accuracy. First, a plant state quantity prediction value is calculated by using a physical model that describes plant state quantities of the power plant including a flow rate of feedwater and a metal corrosion product concentration in feedwater of the reactor water is calculated. Next, data for supervised learning is created, and the data for supervised learning includes the previously calculated plant state quantity prediction value and a plant state quantity such as the flow rate of feedwater, the metal corrosion product concentration in feedwater, a metal corrosion product concentration in reactor water, and a radioactive metal corrosion concentration of the reactor water in the reactor as input data and includes a radioactive metal corrosion concentration in the reactor water which is an actual measured value as output data, and a predictive model is trained.

A reactor water radioactivity concentration of a nuclear power plant can be predicted with high accuracy. First, a plant state quantity prediction value is calculated by using a physical model that describes plant state quantities of the power plant including a flow rate of feedwater and a metal corrosion product concentration in feedwater of the reactor water is calculated. Next, data for supervised learning is created, and the data for supervised learning includes the previously calculated plant state quantity prediction value and a plant state quantity such as the flow rate of feedwater, the metal corrosion product concentration in feedwater, a metal corrosion product concentration in reactor water, and a radioactive metal corrosion concentration of the reactor water in the reactor as input data and includes a radioactive metal corrosion concentration in the reactor water which is an actual measured value as output data, and a predictive model is trained.

This disclosure describes various configurations and components of a molten fuel fast or thermal nuclear reactor for managing the operating temperature in the reactor core. The disclosure includes various configurations of direct reactor auxiliary cooling system (DRACS) heat exchangers and primary heat exchangers as well as descriptions of improved flow paths for nuclear fuel, primary coolant and DRACS coolant through the reactor components.

The method of launching natural circulation of the liquid metal coolant in the heat sink circuit of the fast neutron nuclear reactor without connection to the main heat source (first circuit heat sink) and without using pumping equipment, but only as a result of electric heating of the downing and lifting sections of the heat sink circuit to the specified temperatures and, as a consequence, the occurring difference in the densities of the coolant on the lifting and downing sections of the heat sink circuit.

A fast reactor core includes a sodium plenum installed above the fuel. The sodium plenum is capable of reducing a void reactivity. During operation, a tip of a primary control rod is inserted in a core fuel region, and a tip of a backup control rod is arranged near an upper end of the sodium plenum.

A fast reactor core includes a sodium plenum installed above the fuel. The sodium plenum is capable of reducing a void reactivity. During operation, a tip of a primary control rod is inserted in a core fuel region, and a tip of a backup control rod is arranged near an upper end of the sodium plenum.

Configurations of molten fuel salt reactors are described that utilize neutron-reflecting coolants or a combination of primary salt coolants and secondary neutron-reflecting coolants. Further configurations are described that circulate liquid neutron-reflecting material around a reactor core to control the neutronics of the reactor. Furthermore, configurations which use the circulating neutron-reflecting material to actively cool the containment vessel are also described. A further configuration is described that utilizes a core barrel between a reactor core volume of molten fuel salt and a reflector volume, in which the reflector volume contains a plurality of individual reflector elements separated by an interstitial space filled with molten fuel salt.

This disclosure describes various configurations and components of a molten fuel fast or thermal nuclear reactor for managing the operating temperature in the reactor core. The disclosure includes various configurations of direct reactor auxiliary cooling system (DRACS) heat exchangers and primary heat exchangers as well as descriptions of improved flow paths for nuclear fuel, primary coolant and DRACS coolant through the reactor components.