Electromagnetic flow regulator, system, and methods for regulating flow of an electrically conductive fluid

1. A method of regulating flow of an electrically conductive reactor coolant in a nuclear fission reactor, the method comprising:

flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a nuclear fission module in a nuclear fission reactor; and

electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module, including:

flowing an electrically conductive reactor coolant through a reactor coolant inlet path that is defined through a plurality of magnetic conductors;

generating a Lorentz force that regulates flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant through the reactor coolant inlet path; and

flowing the electrically conductive reactor coolant along a reactor coolant flow path defined along the plurality of magnetic conductors and that is substantially orthogonal to the reactor coolant inlet path.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating a Lorentz force that regulates flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant through the reactor coolant inlet path includes generating a Lorentz force that resists flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant through the reactor coolant inlet path.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating a Lorentz force that resists flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant through the reactor coolant inlet path includes generating at least one magnetic field at the reactor coolant inlet path by an electrical current-carrying field generation winding disposed exterior of the plurality of magnetic conductors.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating a Lorentz force that regulates flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant through the reactor coolant inlet path includes generating a Lorentz force that forces flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant through the reactor coolant inlet path.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein generating a Lorentz force that forces flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant through the reactor coolant inlet path includes generating at least one magnetic field at the reactor coolant inlet path by a first plurality of electrical current-carrying conductors that are disposed interior of the plurality of magnetic conductors and a second plurality of electrical current-carrying conductors that are disposed exterior of the plurality of magnetic conductors.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising flowing at least one portion of an electrically conductive reactor coolant from the electromagnetic flow regulator to respective ones of a plurality of the nuclear fission modules.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising flowing at least one portion of an electrically conductive reactor coolant to bypass the nuclear fission module.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sensing at least one operating parameter associated with the nuclear fission module.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module includes electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module and responsive to the at least one operating parameter associated with the nuclear fission module.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the operating parameter associated with the nuclear fission module includes at least one parameter chosen from temperature, neutron flux, neutron fluence, power, pressure, and flow rate of the electrically conductive reactor coolant.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a burn wave with the nuclear fission module, the burn wave having a width.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module includes electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module in response to the burn wave.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module in response to the burn wave includes electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module in response to the width of the burn wave.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a nuclear fission module in a nuclear fission reactor includes flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a plurality of nuclear fission modules defining a reactor core having a coolant flow zone.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a nuclear fission module in a nuclear fission reactor includes flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a plurality of nuclear fission modules defining a reactor core having a single coolant flow zone.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a nuclear fission module in a nuclear fission reactor includes flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a plurality of nuclear fission modules defining a reactor core having a plurality of coolant flow zones.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein a single electromagnetic flow regulator flows electrically conductive reactor coolant to each of the plurality of coolant flow zones.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein a plurality of electromagnetic flow regulators flow electrically conductive reactor coolant to each of the plurality of coolant flow zones.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a nuclear fission module in a nuclear fission reactor includes flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a plurality of nuclear fission modules defining a reactor core having a plurality of coolant flow zones separated by respective ones of a plurality of partitions.

20. A method of regulating flow of an electrically conductive reactor coolant in a nuclear fission reactor, the method comprising:

flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a nuclear fission module in a nuclear fission reactor; and

electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module, including:

flowing an electrically conductive reactor coolant through a plurality of flow holes defined through a plurality of magnetic conductors;

generating a Lorentz force that resists flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant through the plurality of flow holes; and

flowing the electrically conductive reactor coolant along a reactor coolant flow path defined along the plurality of magnetic conductors and that is substantially orthogonal to flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant through the plurality of flow holes.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein generating a Lorentz force that resists flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant through the plurality of flow holes includes generating at least one magnetic field at the plurality of flow holes by an electrical current-carrying field generation winding disposed exterior of the plurality of magnetic conductors.

22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising flowing at least one portion of an electrically conductive reactor coolant from the electromagnetic flow regulator to respective ones of a plurality of the nuclear fission modules.

23. The method of claim 20 , further comprising flowing at least one portion of an electrically conductive reactor coolant to bypass the nuclear fission module.

24. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:

sensing at least one operating parameter associated with the nuclear fission module.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module includes electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module and responsive to the at least one operating parameter associated with the nuclear fission module.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the operating parameter associated with the nuclear fission module includes at least one parameter chosen from temperature, neutron flux, neutron fluence, power, pressure, and flow rate of the electrically conductive reactor coolant.

27. The method of claim 20 , further comprising generating a burn wave with the nuclear fission module, the burn wave having a width.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module includes electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module in response to the burn wave.

29. The method of claim 27 , wherein electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module in response to the burn wave includes electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module in response to the width of the burn wave.

30. The method of claim 20 , wherein flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a nuclear fission module in a nuclear fission reactor includes flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a plurality of nuclear fission modules defining a reactor core having a coolant flow zone.

31. The method of claim 20 , wherein flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a nuclear fission module in a nuclear fission reactor includes flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a plurality of nuclear fission modules defining a reactor core having a single coolant flow zone.

32. The method of claim 20 , wherein flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a nuclear fission module in a nuclear fission reactor includes flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a plurality of nuclear fission modules defining a reactor core having a plurality of coolant flow zones.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein a single electromagnetic flow regulator flows electrically conductive reactor coolant to each of the plurality of coolant flow zones.

34. The method of claim 32 , wherein a plurality of electromagnetic flow regulators flow electrically conductive reactor coolant to each of the plurality of coolant flow zones.

35. The method of claim 20 , wherein flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a nuclear fission module in a nuclear fission reactor includes flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a plurality of nuclear fission modules defining a reactor core having a plurality of coolant flow zones separated by respective ones of a plurality of partitions.

36. A method of regulating flow of an electrically conductive reactor coolant in a nuclear fission reactor, the method comprising:

flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a nuclear fission module in a nuclear fission reactor; and

electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module, including:

flowing an electrically conductive reactor coolant through a plurality of flow holes defined through a plurality of magnetic conductors;

generating a Lorentz force that forces flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant through the plurality of flow holes; and

flowing the electrically conductive reactor coolant along a reactor coolant flow path defined along the plurality of magnetic conductors and that is substantially orthogonal to flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant through the plurality of flow holes.

37. The method of claim 36 , wherein generating a Lorentz force that forces flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant through the plurality of flow holes includes generating at least one magnetic field at the plurality of flow holes by a first plurality of electrical current-carrying conductors that are disposed interior of the plurality of magnetic conductors and a second plurality of electrical current-carrying conductors that are disposed exterior of the plurality of magnetic conductors.

38. The method of claim 36 , further comprising flowing at least one portion of an electrically conductive reactor coolant from the electromagnetic flow regulator to respective ones of a plurality of the nuclear fission modules.

39. The method of claim 36 , further comprising flowing at least one portion of an electrically conductive reactor coolant to bypass the nuclear fission module.

40. The method of claim 36 , further comprising:

sensing at least one operating parameter associated with the nuclear fission module.

41. The method of claim 40 , wherein electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module includes electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module and responsive to the at least one operating parameter associated with the nuclear fission module.

42. The method of claim 41 , wherein the operating parameter associated with the nuclear fission module includes at least one parameter chosen from temperature, neutron flux, neutron fluence, power, pressure, and flow rate of the electrically conductive reactor coolant.

43. The method of claim 36 , further comprising generating a burn wave with the nuclear fission module, the burn wave having a width.

44. The method of claim 43 , wherein electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module includes electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module in response to the burn wave.

45. The method of claim 44 , wherein electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module in response to the burn wave includes electromagnetically regulating flow of the electrically conductive reactor coolant to the nuclear fission module with an electromagnetic flow regulator operatively coupled to the nuclear fission module in response to the width of the burn wave.

46. The method of claim 36 , wherein flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a nuclear fission module in a nuclear fission reactor includes flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a plurality of nuclear fission modules defining a reactor core having a coolant flow zone.

47. The method of claim 36 , wherein flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a nuclear fission module in a nuclear fission reactor includes flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a plurality of nuclear fission modules defining a reactor core having a single coolant flow zone.

48. The method of claim 36 , wherein flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a nuclear fission module in a nuclear fission reactor includes flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a plurality of nuclear fission modules defining a reactor core having a plurality of coolant flow zones.

49. The method of claim 48 , wherein a single electromagnetic flow regulator flows electrically conductive reactor coolant to each of the plurality of coolant flow zones.

50. The method of claim 48 , wherein a plurality of electromagnetic flow regulators flow electrically conductive reactor coolant to each of the plurality of coolant flow zones.

51. The method of claim 36 , wherein flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a nuclear fission module in a nuclear fission reactor includes flowing electrically conductive reactor coolant to a plurality of nuclear fission modules defining a reactor core having a plurality of coolant flow zones separated by respective ones of a plurality of partitions.