Energy storage systems for remotely located nuclear reactors.

Abstract

A nuclear reactor system for use with an electric power grid is disclosed, the nuclear reactor system including a nuclear reactor, an energy storage system coupled to the nuclear reactor, and control circuitry coupled to the nuclear reactor and the energy storage system, wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor power demand on the electric power grid, monitor power output generated from the nuclear reactor, detect changes in power demand, cause the energy storage system to temporarily compensate for the changes in power demand, and adjust the power output based on the changes in power demand.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority under and the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 158,848, entitled "ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM FOR NUCLEAR REACTOR REMOTE INSTALLATION," filed Jan. 24, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety into this application. [Background technology]

[0002] The present disclosure relates to nuclear reactors. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In one general aspect, the present disclosure provides a nuclear reactor system for use with an electric power grid, the nuclear reactor system including a nuclear reactor, an energy storage system coupled to the nuclear reactor, and control circuitry coupled to the nuclear reactor and the energy storage system, the control circuitry configured to monitor electric power demand on the electric power grid, monitor electric power output generated from the nuclear reactor, detect changes in the electric power demand, cause the energy storage system to temporarily compensate for the change in the electric power demand, and adjust the electric power output based on the change in the electric power demand.

[0004] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for performing load following on an electric power grid including a nuclear reactor system, the method comprising: monitoring electric power demand on the electric power grid, monitoring electric power output generated from the nuclear reactor, detecting a change in the electric power demand, causing an energy storage system to temporarily compensate for the new change in electric power demand, and adjusting the electric power output based on the change in electric power demand.

[0005] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a nuclear reactor system for use with a power grid. The nuclear reactor system includes a nuclear reactor and a power conversion system connected to the nuclear reactor, the power conversion system converting thermal output from the nuclear reactor into electricity. The nuclear reactor system further includes an energy storage system connected to the power conversion system, and control circuitry connected to the power conversion system, the nuclear reactor, and the energy storage system. The control circuitry is configured to monitor a load on the power grid, monitor a power output generated by the nuclear reactor and provided to the power grid via the power conversion system, and detect a new load on the power grid that is different from the power output. The control circuitry is further configured to temporarily compensate for the new load and adjust the nuclear reactor based on the new load to generate the new power output. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] The novel features of various aspects are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like or corresponding parts in the several views. However, the description of the organization and method of operation can best be understood by referring to the following description in combination with the accompanying drawings.

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram of power generated from a nuclear microreactor and delivered to a power grid, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0008] [Figure 2] 1 is a graphical representation of power flow from an energy storage system and a power conversion system to a grid, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0009] [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary reactor core according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] [Figure 4]FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary energy flow from a nuclear microreactor system to a microgrid, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0011] [Figure 5] FIG. 1 illustrates a method executable by a control circuit to control power generated from a nuclear microreactor and provided to a power grid, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the overall structure, function, manufacture, and use of the embodiments described in this disclosure and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Well-known operations, components, and elements have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described in the specification. The reader should understand that the embodiments described and illustrated herein are non-limiting examples, and thus, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein may be representative and exemplary. These variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. Furthermore, it should be understood that terms such as "top," "bottom," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "upward," and "downward" are terms of convenience and should not be construed as limiting terms.

[0013] It should be noted that the illustrated examples are not limited in application or use to the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings and description. The illustrated examples may be implemented or incorporated in other aspects, variations, and modifications, and may be practiced or carried out in various ways. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the terms and phrases used herein have been selected for the convenience of the reader to describe illustrative examples and are not intended to be limiting thereof. It should also be understood that one or more of the aspects, aspect expressions, and / or examples described below can be combined with one or more of the other aspects, aspect expressions, and / or examples.

[0014] Microreactors offer flexibility and potential for carbon-free energy delivery. Nuclear microreactors, such as high-temperature heat pipe microreactors, are an innovative design that can address many of the challenges hindering widespread adoption of carbon-free energy. Nuclear microreactors can be designed to provide safe and reliable power and heat generation with cost-competitive lifecycles. However, some microreactor designs have inherent thermal lags that affect the rate of change of power output during load changes. In other words, some microreactors cannot quickly change their power output based on the desired load. For example, it may take several minutes for the microreactor to reach the new desired power output. Therefore, the development of efficient power output compensation methods is necessary for these microreactors to perform load following, i.e., the ability of a microreactor system to instantly supply the desired load to the user within microseconds.

[0015] One solution is to add an energy storage system to the microreactor system to compensate for thermal delays and enable the microreactor system to provide load-following capabilities. The energy storage system allows the microreactor system to seamlessly supply power as the power output of the microreactor core changes to meet new power demands or loads. In at least one embodiment, a control circuit controls the flow of energy into and out of the energy storage system during load changes and maintains the charge level of the storage system to meet any load changes.

[0016] Energy storage systems offer many advantages to microreactor systems. For example, an energy storage system can be directly connected to the power conversion system of the microreactor system, minimizing the additional space required for the energy storage system. In some embodiments, the addition of an energy storage system can free up more space by eliminating some electrical connections and power generation equipment. For example, without an energy storage system, the microgrid would need to incorporate other distributed energy resources and / or battery systems to compensate for customer load changes, requiring additional space and connections. The energy storage system eliminates the need for additional power sources on the microgrid to compensate for the thermal response of the microreactor, thereby eliminating the need for additional grid connection points, transformers, switchgear, relays, etc. In at least one embodiment, the energy storage system is a battery storage system, and if additional space is available, it can be used to accommodate additional battery cells. The additional battery cells can form additional banks of storage that can be removed from service or switched out to facilitate replacement or maintenance of failed banks.

[0017] The battery energy storage system differs from other grid-level energy storage systems in that it acts as a "buffer" between the grid and the microreactor, allowing the microreactor to achieve a desired power level during gradual or sudden power changes. The disclosed energy storage system is designed to facilitate load following to compensate for slow output changes of the microreactor. This process distinguishes the energy storage system from other energy storage systems that are designed solely to store energy during periods of excess generation and release the energy later in the day.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of power generated from a nuclear microreactor 100 and supplied to a microgrid 500, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. While FIG. 1 illustrates a nuclear microreactor 100 being used to generate power for the microgrid 500, any size nuclear reactor or any size power grid could be used, as described with respect to FIG. 1. The nuclear microreactor 100 generates heat that is used by a power conversion system 200 to generate power supplied to the microgrid 500. The energy storage system 300 can supply additional power to the power conversion system 200 or receive excess power from the power conversion system 200 depending on the difference between the power generated by the power conversion system 200 and the power demand of the microgrid 500. In at least one embodiment, the energy storage system 300 is maintained at approximately 50% energy storage capacity so that it can receive power from or supply power to the power conversion system 200.

[0019] In one embodiment, the energy storage system has an energy storage capacity of at least 3.5 MWh. In another embodiment, the energy storage system is configurable to any capacity so as to receive and supply energy as needed to meet the power demands of the microgrid 500. The energy storage system may be a mechanical energy storage system, a thermal energy storage system, a battery storage system including multiple battery cells, a supercapacitor energy storage system, a superconducting magnetic energy storage system, or the like. For example, the battery storage system may include a sodium-sulfur battery, a sodium-nickel-chloride battery, a lead-acid battery, a lithium-ion fixed battery, a redox flow battery, a vanadium redox flow battery, an iron-chromium redox flow battery, a zinc-bromine redox flow battery, a zinc-air battery, or the like. For example, the mechanical energy storage system may include a flywheel energy storage system. For example, the supercapacitor energy storage system may include a high-power supercapacitor, a high-energy supercapacitor, etc. In at least one embodiment, the type of energy storage system and the specifications of the energy storage system are defined based on the needs of a user.

[0020] The autonomous control system 400 receives data indicative of the power demand of the microgrid 500. In at least one embodiment, the autonomous control system 400 controls the output of the nuclear microreactor 100, thereby controlling the power generated by the power conversion system 200, and the autonomous control system 400 controls the energy stored in the energy storage system 300. In at least one embodiment, the autonomous control system 400 is communicatively coupled to the energy storage system 300, the power conversion system 200, and the nuclear microreactor 100. In at least one embodiment, the energy storage system 300 is communicatively coupled to the power conversion system 200.

[0021] 2 illustrates how the energy storage system 300 compensates for the power 630 generated by the energy conversion system 200 during an increase in power demand 610 of the microgrid 500. For example, the increase in power demand may result from a user connecting a device to the microgrid 500. During the increase in power demand, the energy storage system supplies additional power to the power conversion system so that the power generated and supplied by the power conversion system from the microreactor 100 matches the new power demand.

[0022] 2 illustrates a graph 600 of power flow from the energy storage system 300 and the power conversion system 200 to a microgrid in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. In the graph 600, time t0 occurs before time t1, which occurs before time t2, which occurs before time t3. At time t0, power 630 generated by the power conversion system 200 matches the power demand 610 of the microgrid 500, and the energy storage system 300 does not supply power. At time t1, the power demand 610 increases from a power level P1 to a power level P1+P2. For example, the autonomous control system 400 receives data indicating an increase in power demand 610 at time t1. The autonomous control system 400 causes the energy storage system 300 to supply energy to the microgrid 500 via the energy conversion system 200. At time t1, the energy storage system 300 begins supplying power 620 to the microgrid 500. At time t2, the power 620 delivered from the energy storage system 300 reaches P2. As shown in FIG. 2 , at time t2, the power 630 generated from the power conversion system is approximately P1, and the power 620 delivered from the energy storage system 300 is approximately P2. Therefore, the total power delivered to the microgrid 500 at time t2 is P1+P2, which matches the power demand 610. In one embodiment, the time difference between t1 and t2 is in microseconds. In another embodiment, the time difference between t1 and t2 is less than 1 microsecond.

[0023] The power 630 generated by the power conversion system 200 increases from time t1 to time t3. At time t3, the power 630 generated by the power conversion system 200 matches the power demand 610 of the microgrid 500. From time t2 to time t3, the power 620 supplied by the energy storage system 300 decreases by the same amount as the increase in the power conversion system 200. This process 、 After time t2, the total power supplied to the microgrid 500 is equal to the power demand 610 of P1+P2. Therefore, after time t3, the energy storage system no longer supplies power 620 to the power conversion system 200.

[0024] The utilized capacity of the energy storage system 300 is maintained within a threshold range so that the energy storage system 300 can always supply or receive energy from the power conversion system. In at least one embodiment, the threshold range is centered around 50% of the utilized capacity of the energy storage system. In one embodiment, the threshold range can be 20% of the capacity of the energy storage system. In this embodiment, the lower threshold of the threshold range is 40% of the total capacity, and the upper threshold of the threshold range is 60% of the total capacity. In another embodiment, the threshold range can be any amount that the energy storage system 300 can supply or receive energy from the power conversion system.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 2 , after the power generated by power conversion system 200 matches the new increased power demand, the used storage capacity may fall below a lower threshold of a threshold range. In at least one embodiment, control circuitry within autonomous control system 400 may implement a method for maintaining energy storage system 300 within the threshold range. In another embodiment, the method for maintaining energy storage system 300 within the threshold range may be performed by control circuitry within energy storage system 300 or control circuitry within power conversion system 200. The method includes the control circuitry detecting that the used storage capacity of energy storage system 300 falls below a lower limit of the threshold range. In at least one embodiment, the lower limit of the threshold range is less than 50% of the total storage capacity. The method further includes the control circuitry increasing the power generated from nuclear microreactor 100, where excess energy is sent to energy storage system 300, increasing the used capacity of energy storage system 300. The method further includes the control circuit adjusting the power generated by the power conversion system 200 to match the power demand after the usage capacity of the energy storage system 300 exceeds the lower limit of the threshold range.

[0026] The energy storage system 300 compensates for the power generated by the power conversion system 200 when the power demand of the microgrid 500 decreases, similar to the method described in FIG. 2 . For example, a decrease in power demand may occur because a user unplugs a device from the microgrid 500. During the decrease in power demand, the energy storage system receives excess power from the power conversion system. For example, when the power demand decreases, it takes time for the power generated by the power conversion system 200 to decrease to match the new power demand. This is similar to the increase in power generated by the power conversion system between times t1 and t3 in FIG. 2 . While the power conversion system 200 is reducing its power generation to match the new power demand, the energy storage system 300 receives the excess power generated by the power conversion system 200. As a result, the power supplied to the microgrid 500 during this period matches the new power demand.

[0027] After the power generated by the power conversion system 200 matches the new, reduced power demand, the used storage capacity may be greater than the upper threshold of the threshold range. In at least one embodiment, control circuitry within the autonomous control system 400 can implement a method for maintaining the energy storage system 300 within the threshold range. In another embodiment, the method for maintaining the energy storage system 300 within the threshold range can be performed by control circuitry within the energy storage system 300 or by control circuitry within the power conversion system 200. The method includes the control circuit detecting that the used storage capacity of the energy storage system 300 exceeds an upper limit of the threshold range. In at least one embodiment, the upper limit of the threshold range exceeds 50% of the total storage capacity. The method further includes the control circuit reducing the power generated from the nuclear microreactor 100, in which case additional energy needed to meet the power demand is provided from the energy storage system 300, reducing the used capacity of the energy storage system 300. The method further includes the control circuit adjusting the power generated by the power conversion system 200 to meet the power demand after the used capacity of the energy storage system 300 falls below the upper limit of the threshold range.

[0028] In at least one embodiment, the energy storage system 300 is configured to provide the energy necessary for start-up of the nuclear microreactor 100. For example, the energy storage system 300 can provide power to initiate air flow through a heat exchanger during start-up. In at least one embodiment, the energy storage system 300 is configured to provide the energy necessary for shutdown monitoring of the nuclear microreactor 100.

[0029] One advantage of nuclear microreactor systems is that nuclear microreactor facilities can be installed in small footprints, e.g., one acre, without requiring deep excavation. In at least one embodiment, the overall facility design can include four vessels housing the nuclear microreactor 100, the power conversion system 200, the autonomous control system 400, and the energy storage system 300. For example, the facility design can rely on a vessel housing the nuclear microreactor 100 and a single set of support vessels (instrumentation, control and electrical, power conversion, energy storage for load-following applications, etc.). In one embodiment, the energy storage vessel houses the energy storage system, energy management system, fire suppression system, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), and security access equipment. The vessels are transportable via existing infrastructure (road, rail, or sea). In at least one embodiment, the facility design further includes a rapid exchange vessel, which allows for the rapid exchange of a used nuclear microreactor 100 with a replacement nuclear microreactor 100. This rapid exchange vessel allows a new microreactor 100 to be installed and started up while the old microreactor 100 is shut down and cooled for proper disposal.

[0030] In one embodiment, piping chases are used to connect the nuclear microreactor 100 housed in one vessel with the power conversion system housed in another vessel. For multi-unit applications, the vessels housing the components of each unit can be identically replicated and installed adjacent to each other, reducing the required footprint per unit.

[0031] In one embodiment, the energy storage system is a battery storage system. In this embodiment, a container houses individual battery cells arranged in multiple storage compartments, including cell racks, interconnecting cables, a battery monitoring and energy management system, a fire suppression system, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, and security access devices. In one embodiment, the energy management system may be part of the autonomous control system 400 or part of the power electronics system controller 228 ( FIG. 4 ). In another embodiment, the energy management system includes a control circuit. A method for detecting a bad battery can be performed by a control circuit in the autonomous control system 400, the power conversion system 200, e.g., the power electronics system controller 228, or the energy storage system 300. The method includes the control circuit monitoring parameters indicative of the health of battery cells in the battery storage system, such as charge / discharge rates, battery cell temperatures, etc., and monitoring for abnormal operating conditions. The method further includes the control circuit monitoring battery cell voltages, detecting a voltage imbalance, and appropriately adjusting the charging rates of the battery cells to correct the voltage imbalance. The method further includes the control circuit detecting that the parameter is below a threshold value. In at least one aspect, the parameter is a charge / discharge rate, and the method further includes the control circuit detecting that the charge / discharge rate of the battery cell is below a charge / discharge threshold. For example, the control circuit can monitor the discharge time of the battery cell and detect that the discharge time is below the threshold. In another example, the control circuit can detect that the battery cell is not charging properly. In another aspect, the parameter is a battery cell temperature, and the method further includes the control circuit detecting that the battery cell temperature exceeds a temperature threshold. For example, the control circuit can monitor thermal conditions during charge and discharge and detect that the temperature of the battery cell exceeds a temperature threshold that may cause damage to the battery cell. Furthermore, the method includes the control circuit sending a battery cell replacement message to a user interface, the message notifying a user of the battery cell that needs replacement.For example, the user interface could be a display screen, a guided user interface, an LED light panel with each light associated with the health of a battery cell, and / or any device that notifies the user that a battery replacement is needed.

[0032] The exemplary nuclear microreactor 100 is a thermal neutron spectrum reactor that supplies high-temperature heat from the reactor core via passive heat pipes to a primary heat exchanger and then to an open-air power conversion system. The nuclear microreactor 100 is housed within a canister containment system filled with an inert gas, e.g., helium, to enhance heat transfer while protecting the reactor components from oxidation. The canister containment system also provides structural support for the nuclear microreactor 100. The nuclear microreactor 100 design allows for decay heat removal through the core block, radiation reflectors, canister containment system, and shielding. In one embodiment, the nuclear microreactor 100 uses TRISO fuel, with each fuel core capable of at least eight years of full-power operation. In this embodiment, the multiple layers of TRISO fuel and the canister provide a barrier to prevent the release of fission products into the environment.

[0033] In at least one embodiment, after approximately eight years of full-power operation, the nuclear microreactor 100 can be loaded with fresh fuel and installed on-site in an adjacent reactor vessel. The spent reactor is then shut down and cooled before being shipped for disposal, while the new reactor is started up and connected to the existing infrastructure already in place. In at least one embodiment, the spent fuel does not need to be stored on-site.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary reactor core 110 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, the nuclear microreactor 100 uses heat pipes to transfer thermal energy from the reactor core 110. The nuclear microreactor 100, at least due to its solid-state structural design, is inherently simpler, smaller, more reliable, and more transportable than conventional reactors. The number of moving parts within the reactor core 110 is limited, minimizing maintenance between refuelings. Decay heat is removed by natural convection and radiative heat transfer. The design of the reactor core 110 minimizes construction costs and labor, as a microreactor facility can be installed and operational for commercial applications in less than 30 days and the reactor is intended to be autonomous.

[0035] The reactor core 110 is enclosed in a canister filled with an inert gas, such as helium, to protect the reactor components from oxidation and improve heat transfer. In at least one embodiment, the reactor core 110 design includes a monolithic graphite block with repeating, segmented, hexagonal unit cells 112, 114 oriented horizontally along the length of the reactor core 110. The unit cells 112, 114 may be of any geometric shape. In the exemplary reactor core 110, hexagonal unit cells 112, 114 are shown. The unit cells 112, 114 contain channels for fuel 121, heat pipes 123, e.g., alkali metal heat pipes, and shutdown rods 125. The reactor core 110 is surrounded by a thick radial reflector 116, which houses a control drum 118. In at least one embodiment, reactor core 110 alone without radial reflectors 116 will not reach criticality and radial reflectors 116 are required to achieve criticality. In at least one embodiment, shielding is used to attenuate gamma and neutron radiation to protect site personnel and the public during operation and transportation.

[0036] In at least one embodiment, reactivity control is achieved using a control drum 118 located around the periphery of the reactor core 110 and a burnable absorber embedded in the matrix material of the fuel compacts. Reactivity can be monitored using neutron detectors in the power and source regions. Shutdown can be achieved by two different and independent means: reactivity control rods 125 and the control drum 118. In at least one aspect, additional shutdown rods 125 are used to address hypothetical accident conditions and maintain the nuclear reactor subcritical during transport.

[0037] 3 , the reactor core 110 can be assembled to include fuel 121 (e.g., rod-like or stack-like), heat pipes 123, and reactivity control rods 125 disposed throughout a plurality of unit cells 112 and reactivity control unit cells 114. Specifically, the fuel 121 is disposed throughout the fuel channels of one or more unit cells 112, the heat pipes 123 are disposed throughout the heat pipe channels of one or more unit cells 112, and the reactivity control rods 125 are disposed throughout the reactivity control channels (not shown) of one or more reactivity control cells 114. In some non-limiting embodiments, the fuel 121 and heat pipes 123 are configured to extend the length of the reactor core 110. In other non-limiting embodiments, the fuel 121 and heat pipes 123 are configured to extend an additional length beyond the length of the reactor core 110 to facilitate downstream off-core connections and / or devices (e.g., power conversion systems, condensers, structural support). This design allows reactor core 110 to be customized for any application and / or user preference, providing the versatility to accommodate customer needs. In the assembled reactor core 110 design shown in Figure 3, fuel 121 and heat pipes 123 can be specifically configured to accommodate any particular power requirement and / or structural arrangement without redesigning the basic reactor core 110 design or assuming the inherent development risks.

[0038] 3, the reflector 116 can further include a plurality of control drums 118 configured to house neutron absorbing and reflective material. In the event of a reactor and / or power supply failure, the control drums 118 are configured to rotate inward toward the reactor core 110, causing the absorbing material to rotate inward, shutting down the reactor core 110. According to the non-limiting embodiment of FIG. 3, the reflector 116 may further include a neutron shield, a gamma ray shield configured to substantially enclose the reactor core 110 and its internal components 112, 114, 121, 123, 125, to further mitigate radiation.

[0039] 3 , reactor core 110 may further include a plurality of reactivity control rods 125 configured to be disposed through one of the plurality of reactivity control cells 114. For example, reactivity control cell 114 may include a reactivity control rod 125 or a reactivity control channel similar to a fuel channel and / or a heat pipe channel but specifically configured to accommodate a reactivity control rod 125. Each reactivity control rod 125 may include a neutron absorbing material configured to slow or stop a nuclear reaction in reactor core 110 in the event of an emergency. The reactivity control rods 125 may function in concert to prevent reactor core 110 from reaching a critical temperature or an immediate critical state in the event of a reactor and / or power failure.

[0040] 4 illustrates an example of energy flow from a nuclear microreactor system to a microgrid 500, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The nuclear microreactor 100 generates heat that is used to generate electricity by an induction generator 210 of a power conversion system 200. A power converter 222 receives electricity from the induction generator 210 via an induction side 224 of the power converter 222 and transmits the energy to a power distribution system 230 on a grid side 226 of the power converter 222. The power converter 222 is connected to an energy storage system 300 so that energy, e.g., electricity, can be stored in or provided by the energy storage system 300. In at least one embodiment, the energy storage system is a reservoir of battery cells that store electricity. In one embodiment, the energy storage system 300 is connected to a link between the grid side 226 and the induction side 224 of the power converter 222 in the power conversion system 200. This link allows the energy storage system 300 to seamlessly supply or receive energy while the autonomous control system 400 controls the power changes of the nuclear microreactor 100, as described in Figures 1 and 2. In at least one embodiment, the link is a DC link.

[0041] Power distribution system 230 includes output breaker 232 that provides power to microgrid 500. In at least one embodiment, power distribution system 230 also provides power to AC converter 240, which provides power to AC distribution 242 and home power converter 250. In one embodiment, home power converter 250 includes battery system 252 for energy storage. Home power converter 250 converts AC power to DC power and provides the DC power to DC distribution 260. In at least one embodiment, the internal systems of the nuclear microreactor system are powered by AC distribution 242 and DC distribution 260 depending on the type of power required.

[0042] The autonomous control system 400 is connected to the microgrid 500 via a microgrid interface system 510. For example, a power demand signal can be communicated from the microgrid interface system 510 to the autonomous control system 400. In at least one embodiment, the microgrid interface system 510 is designed to communicate real and reactive power commands, such as frequency and / or voltage commands, to the autonomous control system 400 to meet the load or power demand requirements of the microgrid 500. For example, the microgrid interface system 510 can establish load connection and disconnection to maintain uninterrupted power supply to customer loads. In at least one aspect, the design of the microgrid interface system 510 is configured to provide the flexibility to connect to a utility grid, if present, or to operate in an island mode to manage the microgrid 500 when no utility connection is present. For example, in island mode, the entire system can be disconnected from the utility grid, leaving the power conversion system 200 and the energy storage system 300 to supply the required power to the microgrid 500.

[0043] In at least one embodiment, the autonomous control system 400 is connected to the microgrid interface system 510, the power electronics system controller 228 of the power conversion system 200, the home power converter 250, the energy storage system 300, and the microreactor 100. In one aspect, the power electronics system controller 228 is designed to adjust the output of the power conversion system 200 to meet the power demand requirements from the microgrid 500. In at least one aspect, the power electronics system controller 228 is connected to the energy storage system 300 and the power conversion system 200.

[0044] As described above, the autonomous control system 400 can receive a power demand signal from the microgrid interface system 510. In at least one aspect, the autonomous control system 400 transmits the power demand to the power electronics system controller 228. In at least one embodiment, the power electronics system controller 228 communicates with the energy storage system 300 to receive or send energy from the energy storage system to meet the new power demand.

[0045] In one embodiment, in response to an increase in power demand, the power electronics system controller 228 increases the airflow over the heat pipes of the micro-reactor 100 to remove more heat from the reactor core of the nuclear micro-reactor 100. This process inserts positive reactivity into the reactor core, increasing the core's thermal output, allowing the power conversion system 200 to produce more energy to meet the increased demand. In another embodiment, in response to an increase in power demand, the autonomous control system 400 can send commands to rotate the control drum, introducing positive reactivity into the reactor core to increase the reactor core's temperature, thereby increasing the reactor core's thermal output.

[0046] In one embodiment, in response to a decrease in power demand, the power electronics system controller 228 can decrease the airflow to the heat pipes of the micro-reactor 100 to reduce the amount of heat removed from the reactor core of the nuclear micro-reactor 100. This introduces negative reactivity into the reactor core, reducing the core's heat output and allowing the power conversion system 200 to produce less energy to meet the reduced demand. In another embodiment, in response to a decrease in power demand, the autonomous control system 400 can send commands to rotate the control drum to introduce negative reactivity into the reactor core, reducing the reactor core temperature and thereby reducing the reactor core's heat output.

[0047] FIG. 5 illustrates a method 700, performed by a control circuit, such as the control circuit of the autonomous control system 400, for controlling power generated from a nuclear microreactor, e.g., the nuclear microreactor 100, and delivered to a power grid, e.g., the microgrid 500, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 700 includes the control circuit monitoring 702 a power demand on the power grid. The method 700 further includes the control circuit monitoring 704 a power output generated from the nuclear microreactor. The method 700 further includes the control circuit detecting 706 a new power demand from the power grid. For example, a user may connect a new device to the power grid, increasing the power demand, or a user may disconnect a device from the power grid, decreasing the power demand. The method 700 further includes the control circuit causing 708 an energy storage system, e.g., the energy storage system 300, to compensate for the new power demand, as described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 above. The method 700 further includes the control circuit adjusting the power output generated by the nuclear microreactor to match the new power demand, which may not be instantaneous, as described with respect to FIG. 2. As described in FIG. 4 , the nuclear microreactor can introduce positive or negative reactivity into the nuclear reactor core to increase or decrease the thermal output of the nuclear microreactor as needed. Method 700 further includes the control circuit determining 712 whether the power generated from the nuclear microreactor matches the new power demand. If the power generated from the nuclear microreactor does not match the new power demand, method 700 returns along the “NO” branch to 708 where the control circuit causes the energy storage system to compensate for the new power demand. If the power generated by the nuclear microreactor matches the new power demand, method 700 proceeds along the “YES” branch to 714 where the control circuit stops compensating the energy storage system for the new power demand. Method 700 also optionally includes 716 where the control circuit causes the energy storage system to maintain within a threshold range, as described above in FIGS. 1 and 2 .

[0048] (example) Various aspects of the subject matter described herein are illustrated in the following numbered examples.

[0049] (Example 1) A nuclear reactor system for use with an electric power grid, the nuclear reactor system comprising: a nuclear reactor; an energy storage system coupled to the nuclear reactor; and control circuitry coupled to the nuclear reactor and the energy storage system, the control circuitry configured to monitor electric power demand on the electric power grid, monitor an electric power output generated from the nuclear reactor, detect changes in the electric power demand, cause the energy storage system to temporarily compensate for the changes in the electric power demand, and adjust the electric power output based on the changes in the electric power demand.

[0050] (Example 2) Example 1. The nuclear reactor, wherein the change in power demand is an increase in the power demand over the power output produced from the nuclear reactor, and the control circuitry is further configured to detect the increase in power demand, cause the energy storage system to provide additional power output to meet the increase in power demand, and adjust the output power based on the change in power demand.

[0051] (Example 3) 10. The nuclear reactor of Example 1, wherein the change in power demand is a decrease in the power demand below the power output produced from the nuclear reactor, and the control circuitry is further configured to detect the decrease in power demand, cause the energy storage system to store excess power output resulting from the decrease in power demand, and adjust the output power based on the change in power demand.

[0052] (Example 4) 4. The nuclear reactor system of Examples 1, 2, or 3, wherein the energy storage system is maintained within a threshold range centered around 50% of total storage capacity.

[0053] (Example 5)

[0014] In the nuclear reactor system of Example 4, the control circuitry is further configured to: monitor a used storage capacity of the energy storage system; detect when the used storage capacity is below a lower limit of the threshold range; and, in response to detecting when the used storage capacity is below the lower limit of the threshold range, increase the output power generated by the nuclear reactor, the increased output power generating excess energy above the power demand of the power grid. The control circuitry is further configured to increase the used storage capacity of the energy storage system with the excess energy, and, when the used storage capacity is above the lower limit of the threshold range, decrease the power output generated by the nuclear reactor to match the power demand.

[0054] (Example 6)

[0014] In the nuclear reactor system of Example 4, the control circuitry is further configured to: monitor a used storage capacity of the energy storage system; detect when the used storage capacity is greater than an upper limit of the threshold range; and, in response to detecting that the used storage capacity exceeds the upper limit of the threshold range, reduce the output power generated by the nuclear reactor, wherein the reduced output power is below the power demand of the power grid. The control circuitry is further configured to supply power from the energy storage system to compensate for the reduced power output; and, when the used storage capacity falls below the upper limit of the threshold range, increase the output power generated by the nuclear reactor to match the power demand.

[0055] (Example 7) 7. The nuclear reactor of Example 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, wherein the energy storage system has an energy storage capacity of 3.5 MWh.

[0056] (Example 8) 8. The nuclear reactor of Example 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, wherein the energy storage system comprises a mechanical energy storage system.

[0057] (Example 9) 8. The nuclear reactor of Example 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, wherein the energy storage system comprises a thermal energy storage system.

[0058] (Example 10) 8. The nuclear reactor of Example 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, wherein the energy storage system comprises a battery storage system including a plurality of battery cells.

[0059] (Example 11) 11. The nuclear reactor of Example 10, wherein the control circuitry is configured to monitor a parameter indicative of the health of a battery cell within the plurality of battery cells, detect when the parameter falls below a predetermined threshold, and transmit a battery cell replacement message for the battery cell to be replaced.

[0060] (Example 12) A method for performing load following on an electric power grid including a nuclear reactor system, the method comprising: monitoring an electric power demand on the electric power grid, monitoring an electric power output generated from a nuclear reactor, detecting a change in the electric power demand, causing an energy storage system to temporarily compensate for the change in the electric power demand, and adjusting the electric power output based on the change in the electric power demand.

[0061] (Example 13) Example 12. The method of Example 12, wherein the change in power demand is an increase in power demand over the power output produced from the nuclear reactor, the method further comprising detecting the increase in power demand, causing the energy storage system to provide additional power output to meet the increase in power demand, and adjusting the power output based on the change in power demand.

[0062] (Example 14) Example 12. The method of Example 12, wherein the change in power demand is a decrease in the power demand below the power output produced from the nuclear reactor, the method further comprising detecting the decrease in power demand, storing excess power resulting from the decrease in power demand in the energy storage system, and adjusting the power output based on the change in power demand.

[0063] (Example 15) 15. The method of Example 12, 13, or 14, wherein the energy storage system is maintained within a threshold range centered around 50% of the total storage capacity.

[0064] (Example 16)

[0033] In the method of Examples 12, 13, 14, or 15, the method further comprises: monitoring the used storage capacity of the energy storage system; detecting that the used storage capacity is below a lower limit of the threshold range; and increasing the power output generated by the nuclear reactor in response to detecting that the used storage capacity is below the lower limit of the threshold range, the increased power output generating excess energy above the power demand of the power grid. The method further comprises increasing the used storage capacity of the energy storage system with the excess energy; and, when the used storage capacity is above the lower limit of the threshold range, decreasing the power output generated by the nuclear reactor to match the power demand.

[0065] (Example 17)

[0023] In the method of Examples 12, 13, 14, or 15, the method further comprises monitoring the used storage capacity of the energy storage system, detecting that the used storage capacity is greater than an upper limit of the threshold range, and reducing the power output generated by the nuclear reactor in response to detecting that the used storage capacity exceeds the upper limit of the threshold range, wherein the reduced power output is less than the power demand of the power grid. The method further comprises providing power from the energy storage system to compensate for the reduced power output, and increasing the output power generated by the nuclear reactor to match the power demand when the used storage capacity falls below the upper limit of the threshold range.

[0066] (Example 18) A nuclear reactor system for use with an electric power grid, the nuclear reactor system comprising: a nuclear reactor; and a power conversion system connected to the nuclear reactor, the power conversion system converting thermal output from the nuclear reactor into electricity. The nuclear reactor system further comprises: an energy storage system connected to the power conversion system; and control circuitry connected to the power conversion system, the nuclear reactor, and the energy storage system. The control circuitry is configured to monitor a load on the electric power grid, monitor a power output generated by the nuclear reactor and provided to the electric power grid via the power conversion system, and detect a new load on the electric power grid that differs from the power output. The control circuitry is further configured to cause the energy storage system to temporarily compensate for the new load and adjust the nuclear reactor based on the new load to generate a new power output.

[0067] (Example 19) Example 18. The nuclear reactor of Example 18, wherein the new load is an increased load. The control circuitry is further configured to detect the increased load exceeding the power output of the nuclear reactor, cause the energy storage system to provide additional power output to meet the increased load, and adjust the nuclear reactor based on the increased load to generate the new power output.

[0068] (Example 20) Example 18. The nuclear reactor of Example 18, wherein the new load is a reduced load. The control circuitry is further configured to detect the reduced load being less than the power output of the nuclear reactor, cause the energy storage system to store excess power resulting from the reduced load, and adjust the nuclear reactor based on the reduced load to generate the new power output.

[0069] All patents, patent applications, publications, or other disclosure materials mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety, as if each were expressly incorporated by individual reference. All references and any material, or portions thereof, cited herein are incorporated herein solely to the extent cited herein, except to the extent the incorporated material conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein. Therefore, where necessary, the disclosure set forth herein will supersede any conflicting material cited herein, with the disclosure expressly set forth in this application taking precedence.

[0070] The embodiments described herein are understood to provide illustrative features of various details of various embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, it should be understood that one or more features, elements, components, elements, components, structures, modules, and / or aspects of the disclosed embodiments may, to the extent possible, be combined, separated, interchanged, and / or rearranged with one or more other features, elements, components, elements, components, structures, modules, and / or aspects of the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize that various substitutions, modifications, or combinations of any of the exemplary embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, those skilled in the art will be able to recognize or identify, upon review of this specification, with no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the various embodiments of the present disclosure described herein. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited by the description of the various embodiments, but rather by the claims.

[0071] Those skilled in the art will recognize that, in general, the terms used herein, and particularly in the appended claims (e.g., the body of the appended claims), are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "comprises" should be interpreted as "including, but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "including" should be interpreted as "including, but not limited to," etc.). Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that where a specific number is intended in the introduced claim recitation, such intention will be expressly set forth in the claim; in the absence of such recitation, no such intention exists. For example, to aid in understanding, the following appended claims may use the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce the claim recitation. However, even if the same claim contains the introductory phrase "one or more" or "at least one" and an indefinite article such as "a" or "an," the use of such phrases should not be construed as a claim recitation introduced with the indefinite article "a" or "an" limiting a particular claim containing such an introduced claim recitation to claims containing only one such recitation (e.g., "a" and / or "an" should normally be construed to mean "at least one" or "one or more"), and the same applies to the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations.

[0072] Furthermore, even when a specific number is explicitly recited in an introduced claim recitation, those skilled in the art will recognize that such a recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the mere recitation of "two recitations" without other modifiers typically means at least two recitations, or more than two recitations). Furthermore, when a conventional expression similar to "at least one of A, B, and C" is used, such a configuration is generally intended in the sense that those skilled in the art understand the conventional expression (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" includes, but is not limited to, a system having only A, a system having only B, a system having only C, a system having a combination of A and B, a system having a combination of A and C, a system having a combination of B and C, and / or a system having a combination of A, B, and C). When a conventional expression similar to "at least one of A, B, or C" is used, it will generally be interpreted as meaning that such a configuration is intended in the sense that one of ordinary skill in the art understands the conventional expression (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" includes, but is not limited to, a system having only A, a system having only B, a system having only C, a system combining A and B, a system combining A and C, a system combining B and C, and / or a system combining A, B, and C). One of ordinary skill in the art will further understand that alternative words and / or phrases presenting two or more alternative terms in the description, claims, or drawings will typically be understood to contemplate the possibility of including either term, either term, or both terms, unless the context indicates otherwise. For example, the expression "A or B" will typically be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

[0073] With respect to the appended claims, those skilled in the art will understand that the operations recited in the claims may generally be performed in any order. Also, although the claims are presented in a sequential order, it should be understood that various operations may be performed in orders other than those recited, or may be performed simultaneously. Examples of such alternative orders include, but are not limited to, overlapping, interleaving, interrupting, reordering, incremental, preparatory, supplementary, simultaneous, reverse, or other variant orders unless the context indicates otherwise. Furthermore, the use of "in response to," "related to," or other past tense adjectives is not intended to exclude such variants unless the context indicates otherwise.

[0074] It should be noted that the terms "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example," "one example," and the like mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the multiple appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," "in an embodiment," "in an example," and "in one example" in the specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0075] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0076] As used herein, directional terms, such as, but not limited to, top, bottom, left, right, lower, upper, front, rear, and variations thereof, refer to the orientation of the elements as shown in the accompanying drawings and do not limit the claims, unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0077] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the term "about" or "approximately" refers to an acceptable error for a particular value as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art, where the acceptable error is dependent on how the value is measured or determined. In certain embodiments, the term "about" or "approximately" means within 1, 2, 3, or 4 standard deviations. In certain aspects, the term "about" or "approximately" means within 50%, 200%, 105%, 100%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, or 0.05% of a given value or range.

[0078] In this specification, unless otherwise indicated, all numerical parameters are understood to be modified and varied in all aspects by the term "about," as numerical parameters possessing inherent variability in the measurement techniques employed to determine such numerical parameters. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the scope of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter set forth herein should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and ordinary rounding approaches.

[0079] Numerical ranges recited herein include all subranges subsumed within the recited range. For example, a range of "1 to 100" includes all subranges between (and including) the recited minimum of 1 and the recited maximum of 100, i.e., ranges in which the minimum is 1 or greater and the maximum is 100 or less. All ranges recited herein also include the endpoints of the recited range. For example, the range "1 to 100" includes the endpoints 1 and 100. Every maximum numerical limitation recited herein is intended to include every subsumed lower numerical limitation, and every minimum numerical limitation recited herein is intended to include every subsumed higher numerical limitation. Accordingly, applicants reserve the right to amend this specification, including the claims, to expressly recite any subranges that fall within any explicitly recited range. All such ranges are implicitly set forth herein.

[0080] Any patent applications, patents, non-patent publications, or other disclosure material referred to herein or set forth in any Application Data Sheet is incorporated herein by reference to the extent that it does not conflict herewith. Accordingly, to the extent necessary, the disclosures expressly set forth herein supersede any conflicting material incorporated by reference herein. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein but that conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein is incorporated only to the extent that there is no conflict between the incorporated material and the existing disclosure material.

[0081] "Comprise" (and all forms of "comprise," such as "comprises" and "comprising"), "have" (and all forms of "have," such as "has" and "having"), "include" (and all forms of "include," such as "includes" and "including"), and "contain" (and all forms of "contain," such as "contains" and "containing") are open conjunctive verbs. Thus, a system that "comprises," "has," "includes," or "contains" one or more elements includes, but is not limited to, having only those elements. Similarly, a system, device, or apparatus that "comprises," "has," "includes," or "contains" one or more features includes, but is not limited to, having only those features.

Claims

1. 1. A nuclear reactor system for use with an electric power grid, comprising: a nuclear reactor; an energy storage system connected to the nuclear reactor; a control circuit connected to the nuclear reactor and the energy storage system; The control circuit monitoring the power demand of the power grid; monitoring the power output produced from the nuclear reactor; detecting a change in the power demand; causing the energy storage system to temporarily compensate for the change in power demand; The nuclear reactor system is configured to adjust the power output based on changes in the power demand.

2. the change in power demand is an increase in the power demand over the power output produced from the nuclear reactor; The control circuit further comprises: detecting an increase in the power demand; causing the energy storage system to provide additional power output to meet the increased power demand; The nuclear reactor system of claim 1 configured to adjust the output power based on changes in the power demand.

3. the change in power demand is a decrease in the power demand below the power output produced from the nuclear reactor; The control circuit further comprises: detecting the decrease in the power demand; storing excess power output resulting from the reduction in power demand in the energy storage system; The nuclear reactor system of claim 1 configured to adjust the output power based on changes in the power demand.

4. 10. The nuclear reactor system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage system is maintained within a threshold range centered around 50% of total storage capacity.

5. The control circuit further comprises: monitoring the storage capacity usage of the energy storage system; Detecting that the used storage capacity is below a lower limit of the threshold range; increasing the output power generated by the nuclear reactor in response to detecting that the used storage capacity is below the lower limit of the threshold range, the increased output power generating excess energy over the power demand of the power grid; augmenting the utilized storage capacity of the energy storage system with the excess energy; 5. The nuclear reactor system of claim 4, configured to reduce the power output produced by the nuclear reactor to match the power demand when the used storage capacity exceeds the lower limit of the threshold range.

6. The control circuit further comprises: monitoring the storage capacity usage of the energy storage system; Detecting that the used storage capacity is greater than an upper limit of the threshold range; In response to detecting that the used storage capacity exceeds the upper limit of the threshold range, reducing the output power generated by the nuclear reactor, the reduced output power being below the power demand of the power grid; providing power from the energy storage system to compensate for the reduction in power output; 5. The nuclear reactor system of claim 4, configured to increase the output power produced by the nuclear reactor to match the power demand when the used storage capacity falls below the upper limit of the threshold range.

7. 10. The nuclear reactor system of claim 1, wherein said energy storage system has an energy storage capacity of 3.5 MWh.

8. 10. The nuclear reactor system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage system comprises a mechanical energy storage system.

9. The nuclear reactor system of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage system comprises a thermal energy storage system.

10. 10. The nuclear reactor system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage system comprises a battery storage system including a plurality of battery cells.

11. The control circuit monitoring a parameter indicative of the health of a battery cell within the plurality of battery cells; detecting when the parameter falls below a predetermined threshold; The nuclear reactor system of claim 10 configured to transmit a battery cell replacement message for a battery cell to be replaced.

12. 1. A method for performing load following on an electric power grid having a nuclear reactor system, comprising: monitoring power demand on the power grid; monitoring the power output produced from the nuclear reactor; detecting a change in the power demand; causing an energy storage system to temporarily compensate for the change in power demand; and adjusting the power output based on the change in power demand.

13. the change in power demand is an increase in power demand over the power output produced from the nuclear reactor; The method further comprises: detecting an increase in the power demand; causing the energy storage system to provide additional power output to meet the increased power demand; and adjusting the power output based on the change in power demand.

14. the change in power demand is a decrease in the power demand below the power output produced from the nuclear reactor; The method further comprises: detecting the decrease in power demand; storing surplus electricity generated by the reduction in electricity demand in the energy storage system; and adjusting the power output based on the change in power demand.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the energy storage system is maintained within a threshold range centered around 50% of total storage capacity.

16. The method further comprises: monitoring the used storage capacity of the energy storage system; detecting that the used storage capacity is below a lower limit of the threshold range; increasing the power output generated by the nuclear reactor in response to detecting that the used storage capacity is below a lower limit of the threshold range, the increased power output producing excess energy over the power demand of the power grid; augmenting the utilized storage capacity of the energy storage system with the excess energy; 16. The method of claim 15, comprising: when the used storage capacity exceeds the lower limit of the threshold range, reducing the power output produced by the nuclear reactor to meet the power demand.

17. The method further comprises: monitoring the used storage capacity of the energy storage system; detecting that the used storage capacity is greater than an upper limit of the threshold range; In response to detecting that the used storage capacity exceeds the upper limit of the threshold range, reducing the power output produced by the nuclear reactor, the reduced power output being below the power demand of the power grid; and providing power from the energy storage system to compensate for the reduction in power output; 16. The method of claim 15, comprising: when the used storage capacity falls below the upper limit of the threshold range, increasing the output power produced by the nuclear reactor to meet the power demand.

18. 1. A nuclear reactor system for use with an electric power grid, the nuclear reactor system comprising: a nuclear reactor; a power conversion system connected to the nuclear reactor, the power conversion system converting thermal power from the nuclear reactor into electricity; and an energy storage system connected to the power conversion system; a control circuit connected to the power conversion system, the nuclear reactor, and the energy storage system; The control circuit monitoring the load on the power grid; monitoring the power output generated by the nuclear reactor and provided to the power grid through the power conversion system; detecting a new load on the power grid that is different from the power output; causing the energy storage system to temporarily compensate for the new load; and adjusting the nuclear reactor based on the new load to generate a new power output.

19. the new load is an increased load; The control circuit further comprises: detecting the increased load exceeding the power output of the nuclear reactor; causing the energy storage system to provide additional power output to meet the increased load; 20. The nuclear reactor system of claim 18 configured to adjust the nuclear reactor based on the increased load to generate the new output power.

20. the new load is a reduced load; The control circuit further comprises: detecting the reduced load below the power output of the nuclear reactor; causing the energy storage system to store excess power resulting from the reduced load; 20. The nuclear reactor system of claim 18 configured to adjust the nuclear reactor based on the reduced load to generate the new output power.

Images