Nuclear reactor fuel structure containing uranium alloy wires embedded in a metallic matrix plate

Patent · Fri Oct 25 04:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5664623

Travelli, A

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.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• Assignee: Dept. of Energy
• Patent Number(s): None
• Application Number: ON: DE86013750
• OSTI ID: 5664623
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220300* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Fuel Elements
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360103 -- Metals & Alloys-- Mechanical Properties
ACTINIDE ALLOYS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALLOYS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ALUMINIUM
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
DESIGN
ELEMENTS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL ELEMENTS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
METALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
NUCLEI
POWER PLANTS
POWER REACTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SILICIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
URANIUM 235
URANIUM ALLOYS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM SILICIDES
WIRES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES