Patent Number: 042279674
Section: claims

1. Apparatus for controlling the power level in a nuclear reactor, said reactor having a core that is cooled during normal operation by a flow of primary coolant, comprising: (a) an elongate absorber support shaft adapted for relative motion with respect to the core of a nuclear reactor;  (b) an elongate absorber member for absorbing neutrons in the nuclear reactor, said member being adapted for relative motion with respect to the core of the reactor; and  (c) a plurality of high coefficient thermal expansion members and a corresponding plurality of low coefficient thermal expansion members disposed in alternate relationship and connected in series alternately at their top ends and at their bottom ends, said expansion members being elongate and attached at one end of the alternating series to the absorber support shaft and at the other end of the series to the absorber member so that the absorber support shaft, absorber member, and thermal expansion members all have longitudinal axes oriented in a direction generally parallel to the direction of relative motion between the absorber member and the core and together form an elongate in-line structure, the absorber member being moved relative to the core by the motion of the absorber support shaft and by thermal elongation of the expansion members, the absorber member being movable by thermal elongation relative to the absorber support shaft into closer proximity with the core as the temperature of the core increases, said thermal expansion members being in thermal communication with the core and responsive to the temperature thereof.  (a) supporting a neutron absorber member in a nuclear reactor for absorbing neutrons therein using a control rod drive shaft and a plurality of alternately connected members having high coefficients and low coefficients of thermal expansion;  (b) controlling the power level in the reactor on command by relatively moving the neutron absorber member with respect to the core using a rod drive motor to move the rod drive shaft and the thermal expansion members; and  (c) moving the neutron absorber member with respect to the rod drive shaft and in turn with respect to the core in a manner responsive to the reactor core temperature by using the thermal expansion properties of the thermal expansion members and controlling the power level in the reactor using the absorber member independently of and in addition to the motion of the rod drive shaft so that as the core temperature increases, the power level is correspondingly decreased. 2. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the thermal expansion members are a plurality of coaxial cylinders of differing radii and are attached together in an alternating manner, each cylinder having a principal axis oriented parallel to the direction of relative motion and co-incident with the longitudinal axis of the absorber support shaft. 3. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the thermal expansion members are a plurality of parallel rods that are connected by a mechanical yoke so that thermal expansion of the members is amplified in the direction of relative motion, each rod having a principal axis oriented parallel to the direction of relative motion. 4. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the nuclear reactor is a liquid metal fast breeder reactor and the plurality of high and low coefficient thermal expansion members provides a negative temperature coefficient of reactivity to said reactor so that the rate at which neutrons are absorbed increases proportionally as the temperature of the liquid metal primary coolant increases and the power level is correspondingly decreased. 5. Method for controlling the power level in a nuclear reactor, said reactor having a core that is cooled during normal operation by a flow of primary coolant, comprising the steps of: