Method of breeding fissile fuel in a coupled nuclear reactor
Patent
·
OSTI ID:4313496
A nuclear fuel is described for incorporation into the fast region of a coupled nuclear reactor to provide power and breeding of additional fissile fuel. The fuel consists of a heterogeneous mixture or grouping of a fertile material with lithium and an isotope of hydrogen. The absorption of thermal neutrons by the lithium-6 isotope in the lithium causes the isotope to break up into helium (/ sup 4/He) and tritons (/sup 3/H) with an energy of about 2.8 MeV. The fusing of the tritons, so produced, with the hydrogen isotope, which may be in the form of deuterium or tritium, forms further helium and releases fusion neutrons with energies in the range from 10 to 20 MeV. The latter high energy neutrons produce direct fission of the fertile material, e.g., /sup 238/U or /sup 232/Th, releasing about 3.5 ne utrons per fission and 200 MeV energy. The heat prcduced by these reactions may be used for power and the remairimg fertile material is rendered fissile by final neutron capture, thus breeding additional fissile fuel. (Official Gazette)
- Research Organization:
- Originating Research Org. not identified
- NSA Number:
- NSA-29-023522
- Assignee:
- to Research Corp.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 3791921
- OSTI ID:
- 4313496
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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