Fuel rod with annular nuclear fuel pellets having same U-235 enrichment and different annulus sizes for graduated enrichment loading

Patent · Tue Aug 18 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6157625

Mildrum, C M

A fuel rod is described for a nuclear reactor fuel assembly, comprising: (a) a hollow cladding tube; (b) a pair of end plugs connected to and sealing the cladding tube at opposite ends thereof; (c) a plurality of fuel pellets contained on the tube and being composed of fissile material having a single enrichment the value of which is at the level of the maximum enrichment loading of the rod, the pellets having provided in a stack having one end disposed adjacent to one of the end plugs and an opposite end disposed remote from the other of the end plugs; and (d) a plenum spring disposed in the tube between the other end plug and the opposite end of the pellet stack for retaining the pellets in a stack form; (e) at least some of the fuel pellets having an annular configuration and at least other of the fuel pellets having a solid configuration; (f) each of some of the annular fuel pellets having an annulus of a first size; (e) each of other of the annual fuel pellets having an annulus of a second size different from the first size, whereby graduation of axial enrichment loading is provided between the annual fuel pellets of the fuel rod.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
• Patent Number(s): US 4687629
• OSTI ID: 6157625
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220300* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Fuel Elements
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CLOSURES
CONFIGURATION
DESIGN
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL PELLETS
FUEL RODS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ISOTOPES
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
OPERATION
PELLETS
POWER REACTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SEALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SIZE
URANIUM 235
URANIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES