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Fusion blanket and method for producing directly fabricable fissile fuel

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6530334
A method of making fuel elements is described for a fission reactor by breeding fissile fuel in a tritium breeding fusion reactor having a blanket with an enrichment section. The method comprises the following steps: incorporating particles of fertile material and particles of a thermal neutron absorber into the enrichment section in such proportion that the particles of fertile material make up less than 3% by volume of the enrichment section, the thermal neutron absorber functioning at least in part to suppress thermal fissioning of the bred fissile fuel, bombarding the particles with neutrons generated by fusion, and adding additional particles of the thermal neutron absorber as the fissile material content of the enrichment section increases to continue to suppress thermal fissioning of the bred fissile fuel, removing the particles from the blanket after sufficient time that the fuel particles are enriched to about 4%, mixing the particles to compensate for nonuniformities in enrichment introduced as a function of location of particles within the enrichment section, and fabricating the particles to form at least one fuel element.
Assignee:
GA Technologies, Inc., San Diego, CA
Patent Number(s):
US 4663110
OSTI ID:
6530334
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English