1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an externally moderated thermal nuclear reactor and more particularly to a gaseous fueled externally moderated thermal nuclear reactor developing non-equilibrium output radiation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The need for practical sources of nuclear power has become acute in view of the diminishing reserves of fossil fuels. Thus substantial research and development activities have been devoted to developing and improving existing nuclear reactors. However many problems remain unsolved in the nuclear energy field.
For example, existing technology, which has been directed primarily to solid fuel fission reactors, has not supplied satisfactory solutions to the problems raised by the disposal of radioactive materials, such as transuranium actinides produced in all fission reactors. At the present time, these long-lived and potentially hazardous waste materials must be containerized and dumped or stored in suitable remote locations or must be reprocessed at great cost before they can be consumed in conventional reactor systems. Accordingly, conventional solid fueled reactors pose a serious problem in environmental control since they produce ever increasing quantites of radioactive waste materials.
A further problem area that has plagued nuclear reactor advocates is the safety hazard posed by conventional solid fueled reactors. The large inventory of fuel required to make solid fuel reactors operative always creates the threat of a catastrophe due to fuel melt down in case of loss-of-cooling accidents as well as the possiblity of criticality accidents. Furthermore, the elaborate safety systems required to prevent such accidents are extraordinarily expensive and add substantially to the cost of nuclear facilities.
Thus a need exists for a development in reactor technology which will eliminate or reduce these various disadvantages of prior technology.
Gas and plasma core reactors, proposed in the past, have offered only partial solutions to the problems noted above. Such previously proposed gas and plasma core reactors are projected for operation at high temperatures and pressures, providing output power largely in the form of conventional heat energy. Such previously proposed gas and plasma core reactors were conveived for high specific impulse propulsion in space; accordingly, their operation temperature is at 10,000 degrees and higher, and their power would be at 10,000 Megawatts and higher. Such previously known gaseous and plasma core reactor concepts have not satisfactorily resolved many of the safety and environmental problems mentioned above with regard to solid fueled reactors, and they are not practical as sources for continuous power because of too great temperatures, pressures and power.
A need therefore exists for further improvements in nuclear reactors, and especially in gaseous core reactors.