Nuclear fuel cladding containing a burnable absorber

Patent · Tue Jan 05 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5404769

Morita, T

A nuclear fuel cladding is described having a predetermined concentration of burnable absorber integrally incorporated therein, for use in containing a nuclear fuel in a reactor, the cladding formed as a hollow composite tube comprising: an outer tubular layer, having a first thickness of at least 15 mils, consisting essentially of a first zirconium alloy; an intermediate layer bonded to the inner wall of the outer tubular layer, having a second thickness less than the first thickness, consisting essentially of a mixture of a boron-containing material having a predetermined enrichment of boron and a second zirconium alloy, the second thickness being defined by the predetermined enrichment of boron in the boron-containing material and by the predetermined concentration of burnable absorber incorporated into the fuel cladding; and an inner layer of zirconium metal, having a third thickness less than the second thickness, bonded to the intermediate layer, the third thickness being sufficient to isolate the intermediate layer from the nuclear fuel.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
• Patent Number(s): US 4717534
• OSTI ID: 5404769
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220300* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Fuel Elements
ADSORBENTS
ALLOYS
BORON
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CLADDING
COATINGS
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
DEPOSITION
ELEMENTS
FUEL CANS
FUEL-CLADDING INTERACTIONS
SEMIMETALS
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
SURFACE COATING
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TUBES
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS