Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of operating a propagating nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor, the method comprising:initiating a nuclear fission deflagration wave in a first region of a nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor;propagating the propagating nuclear fission deflagration wave through the first region to a second region of the nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor contiguous with the first region;propagating the propagating nuclear fission deflagration wave through the second region to a third region of the nuclear fission deflagration wave reactor contiguous with the second region and the first region;propagating the propagating nuclear fission deflagration wave through the third region, the first, second, and third regions being capable of criticality independent of each other;after propagating the propagating nuclear fission deflagration wave through the third region, re-initiating a nuclear fission deflagration wave in the first region; andre-propagating the propagating nuclear fission deflagration wave through the first region. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first region, second region, and third region form a closed loop. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the closed loop is substantially a toroid.