CERMET fuel element includes a fuel meat of consolidated ceramic fuel particles (preferably refractory-metal coated HALEU fuel kernels) and an array of axially-oriented coolant flow channels. Formation and lateral positions of coolant flow channels in the fuel meat are controlled during manufacturing by spacer structures that include ceramic fuel particles. In one embodiment, a coating on a sacrificial rod (the rod being subsequently removed) forms the coolant channel and the spacer structures are affixed to the coating; in a second embodiment, a metal tube forms the coolant channel and the spacer structures are affixed to the metal tube. The spacer structures laterally position the coolant channels in spaced-apart relation and are consolidated with the ceramic fuel particles to form CERMET fuel meat of a fuel element, which are subsequently incorporated into fuel assemblies that are distributively arranged in a moderator block within a nuclear fission reactor, in particular for propulsion.
CERMET FUEL ELEMENT AND FABRICATION AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF, INCLUDING IN THERMAL PROPULSION REACTOR
CERMET-BRENNSTOFFELEMENT SOWIE HERSTELLUNG UND ANWENDUNGEN DAVON, EINSCHLIESSLICH IN EINEM THERMISCHEN ANTRIEBSREAKTOR
ÉLÉMENT COMBUSTIBLE EN CERMET, SA FABRICATION ET SES APPLICATIONS, NOTAMMENT DANS UN RÉACTEUR À PROPULSION THERMIQUE
2023-08-16
Patent
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
Europäisches Patentamt | 2024
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|Cermet Fuel Reactor for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion
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NTRS | 1991
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