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

Travelli, Armando

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

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Abstract

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.

Inventors:

Travelli, Armando ^[1]

Hinsdale, IL

Publication Date:: 1988-01-01

Research Org.:: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

OSTI Identifier:: 866476

Patent Number(s):: US 4720370

Assignee:: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)

DOE Contract Number:: W-31109-ENG-38

Resource Type:: Patent

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: nuclear; reactor; fuel; structure; containing; uranium; alloy; wires; embedded; metallic; matrix; plate; flat; curved; comprises; elongated; fissionable; strips; continuous; non-fissionable; predominantly; malleable; silicide; gallide; germanide; aluminum; located; single; row; midsurface; parallel; length; dimension; separated; surface; sufficient; thicknesses; material; provide; structural; integrity; effective; fission; product; retention; neutron; irradiation; construction; makes; safely; feasible; density; enrichment; 235; reduced; below; 20; deter; reprocessing; weapons; uranium silicide; sufficient thickness; uranium alloy; neutron irradiation; fission product; matrix material; nuclear reactor; reactor fuel; aluminum alloy; structural integrity; uranium enrichment; alloy wires; plate structure; nuclear weapons; reduced below; structure containing; containing uranium; comprises elongated; nuclear weapon; /376/252/420/976/

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                    Travelli, Armando. Nuclear reactor fuel structure containing uranium alloy wires embedded in a metallic matrix plate.  United States: N. p., 1988. 
        Web.

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                    Travelli, Armando. Nuclear reactor fuel structure containing uranium alloy wires embedded in a metallic matrix plate.  United States.

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                    Travelli, Armando. 1988.  
        "Nuclear reactor fuel structure containing uranium alloy wires embedded in a metallic matrix plate".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/866476.

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@article{osti_866476,

  title        = {Nuclear reactor fuel structure containing uranium alloy wires embedded in a metallic matrix plate},

  author       = {Travelli, Armando},

  abstractNote = {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.},

  doi          = {},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/866476},
  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {1988},

  month        = {1}

}

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