PCI resistant fuel and method and apparatus for controlling reactivity in a reactor core

Patent · Tue Apr 04 04:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:6119700

Chubb, W

This patent describes a nuclear reactor core comprising a plurality of generally cylindrical fuel rods, each of the fuel rods comprising a cladding containing a plurality of nuclear fuel pellets stacked end-to-end within the cladding. Each fuel is coated with a layer of a refractory material interposed between the fuel pellet and the cladding of sufficient thickness to effectively prevent direct contact between the pellet and the cladding, the layer comprising a burnable poison having a non-naturally occurring tailored isotopic composition adjusted to reduce, in a controlled fashion, initial excess reactivity in the reactor core.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
• Patent Number(s): US 4818477
• OSTI ID: 6119700
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220300* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Fuel Elements
BURNABLE POISONS
CLADDING
COATINGS
DEPOSITION
DESIGN
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL PELLETS
FUEL RODS
MATERIALS
NEUTRON ABSORBERS
NUCLEAR POISONS
PELLETS
PROTECTIVE COATINGS
REACTIVITY
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR MATERIALS
REFRACTORIES
SURFACE COATING