IMPROVED FUEL-BREEDER ELEMENT FOR A NUCLEAR REACTOR

Patent · Wed Sep 14 00:00:00 EDT 1960

OSTI ID:4128742

A unique fuel-element design is proposed for breeder reactors in which the fertile and fissionable materials are separated, the fissionable material being in the nonaqueous fluid phase. The fertile material is fabricated as the core of a fuel element with the fissionable material dissolved or suspended in a molten inorganic medium. e.g., bismuth or bismuth-tin for uranium or a fused fluoride mixture for UF/sub 4/, surrounding the core and in contact with the container (stainless steel or zirconium). Because the solubility of uranium in the above molten solvents is low. it should be enriched>90% U/sup 235/ or U/sup 233/. The advantages of this fuelelement design are ease of fabrication, ease of reprocessing for fertile material recovery, high burn-up, resistance to radiation damage or growth, and improved heat transfer owing to the power level not being limited by the center temperature. The fuel element is particularly suitable for use in sodium-cooled graphite-moderated thermal reactors. (D.L.C.)

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-14-026495
• OSTI ID: 4128742
• Report Number(s): GB 847847
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-60
• Country of Publication: United Kingdom
• Language: English

Related Subjects

REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
BISMUTH
BISMUTH ALLOYS
BREEDING
BURNUP
ENRICHMENT
FABRICATION
FERTILE MATERIALS
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
FLUORIDES
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL SOLUTIONS
FUSED SALT FUEL
GRAPHITE MODERATOR
HEAT TRANSFER
LIQUID METAL COOLANT
LIQUID METAL FUEL
PATENT
PLANNING
RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTORS
REPROCESSING
SODIUM
STAINLESS STEELS
TEMPERATURE
THERMAL NEUTRONS
TIN ALLOYS
URANIUM 233
URANIUM 235
URANIUM FLUORIDES
VESSELS
ZIRCONIUM