Nuclear reactor fuel structure containing uranium alloy wires embedded in a metallic matrix plate
Abstract
A flat or curved plate structure, to be used as fuel in a nuclear reactor, comprises elongated fissionable wires or strips embedded in a metallic continuous non-fissionable matrix plate. The wires or strips are made predominantly of a malleable uranium alloy, such as uranium silicide, uranium gallide or uranium germanide. The matrix plate is made predominantly of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The wires or strips are located in a single row at the midsurface of the plate, parallel with one another and with the length dimension of the plate. The wires or strips are separated from each other, and from the surface of the plate, by sufficient thicknesses of matrix material, to provide structural integrity and effective fission product retention, under neutron irradiation. This construction makes it safely feasible to provide a high uranium density, so that the uranium enrichment with uranium 235 may be reduced below about 20%, to deter the reprocessing of the uranium for use in nuclear weapons.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 5664623
- Application Number:
- ON: DE86013750
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; FUEL ASSEMBLIES; DESIGN; FUEL ELEMENTS; NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS; POWER REACTORS; URANIUM ALLOYS; WIRES; ALUMINIUM; ALUMINIUM ALLOYS; URANIUM 235; URANIUM SILICIDES; ACTINIDE ALLOYS; ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALLOYS; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; ELEMENTS; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; HEAVY NUCLEI; ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; METALS; MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; NUCLEI; POWER PLANTS; RADIOISOTOPES; REACTOR COMPONENTS; REACTORS; SILICIDES; SILICON COMPOUNDS; THERMAL POWER PLANTS; URANIUM COMPOUNDS; URANIUM ISOTOPES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 220300* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Fuel Elements; 360103 - Metals & Alloys- Mechanical Properties
Citation Formats
Travelli, A. Nuclear reactor fuel structure containing uranium alloy wires embedded in a metallic matrix plate. United States: N. p., 1985.
Web.
Travelli, A. Nuclear reactor fuel structure containing uranium alloy wires embedded in a metallic matrix plate. United States.
Travelli, A. Fri .
"Nuclear reactor fuel structure containing uranium alloy wires embedded in a metallic matrix plate". United States.
@article{osti_5664623,
title = {Nuclear reactor fuel structure containing uranium alloy wires embedded in a metallic matrix plate},
author = {Travelli, A},
abstractNote = {A flat or curved plate structure, to be used as fuel in a nuclear reactor, comprises elongated fissionable wires or strips embedded in a metallic continuous non-fissionable matrix plate. The wires or strips are made predominantly of a malleable uranium alloy, such as uranium silicide, uranium gallide or uranium germanide. The matrix plate is made predominantly of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The wires or strips are located in a single row at the midsurface of the plate, parallel with one another and with the length dimension of the plate. The wires or strips are separated from each other, and from the surface of the plate, by sufficient thicknesses of matrix material, to provide structural integrity and effective fission product retention, under neutron irradiation. This construction makes it safely feasible to provide a high uranium density, so that the uranium enrichment with uranium 235 may be reduced below about 20%, to deter the reprocessing of the uranium for use in nuclear weapons.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Oct 25 00:00:00 EDT 1985},
month = {Fri Oct 25 00:00:00 EDT 1985}
}