Granted Patent B2

US 12,525,365 · App. 17/785,313 · Granted Jan 13, 2026

Inventors: Mark Reed (Seattle, WA); Michael John Eades (Seattle, WA); Paolo Francesco Venneri (Seattle, WA); Vishal Patel (Seattle, WA); Wesley Deason (Seattle, WA); Richard J. Kapernick (Seattle, WA)

Assignee: Standard Nuclear, Inc.

G21C5/14G21C5/02G21C15/08

Abstract

Claims (26)

1 . A nuclear reactor core, comprising:

a plurality of fuel elements; and

one or more moderator blocks to form a nuclear reactor core inner portion and a nuclear reactor core outer portion, wherein:

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 of the fuel elements disposed therein, and

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 of the fuel elements disposed therein, and

a plurality of outer coolant passages to flow the coolant;

each of the inner coolant passages has an inner coolant passage diameter;

each of the outer coolant passages has an outer coolant passage diameter;

the outer coolant passage diameter exceeds the inner coolant passage diameter; and

each of the inner coolant passages are located closer to a nuclear reactor core radial center than each of the outer coolant passages.

2 . The nuclear reactor core of claim 1 , wherein:

an inner pattern of the inner holes is clustered more closely together compared to an outer pattern of the outer holes.

3 . The nuclear reactor core of claim 2 , wherein

the inner fuel openings of the inner moderator matrix are clustered more closely together compared to the outer fuel openings of the outer moderator matrix; and

the inner coolant passages of the inner moderator matrix are clustered more closely together compared to the outer coolant passages of the outer moderator matrix.

4 . The nuclear reactor core of claim 2 , wherein:

the inner moderator matrix and the outer moderator matrix collectively form a moderator web.

5 . The nuclear reactor core of claim 4 , wherein:

the moderator web includes a non-uniform clustering such that the inner moderator matrix includes a tighter clustering of the inner holes compared to the outer holes of the outer moderator matrix.

6 . The nuclear reactor core of claim 1 , wherein:

each of the inner fuel openings has an inner fuel opening diameter;

each of the outer fuel openings has an outer fuel opening diameter; and

the inner fuel opening diameter exceeds the outer fuel opening diameter.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (23)