NUCLEAR REACTOR Russian patent published in 1999 - IPC

FIELD: nuclear power plants of space vehicles. SUBSTANCE: nuclear reactor has moderator and end reflectors made in the form of disks with holes whose axes are parallel to reactor center line; holes pass coolant-channel tubes terminated in tube sheets arranged downstream of reflectors. Centers of moderator and reflector holes are offset relative to those of respective coolant-channel tubes over reactor core radius through distance proportional to distance of tube centers from core center; maximal chords of holes are along core radius and their length increases depending on distance between tube centers and core center obeying linear law. Core porosity is reduced due to thermal isolation of its components to extent sufficient to prevent deformation of coolant channels. EFFECT: increased reactivity margin of reactor. 2 cl, 2 dwg