Nuclear fuel elements made from nanophase materials
Abstract
A nuclear reactor core fuel element is composed of nanophase high temperature materials. An array of the fuel elements in rod form are joined in an open geometry fuel cell that preferably also uses such nanophase materials for the cell structures. The particular high temperature nanophase fuel element material must have the appropriate mechanical characteristics to avoid strain related failure even at high temperatures, in the order of about 3000.degree. F. Preferably, the reactor type is a pressurized or boiling water reactor and the nanophase material is a high temperature ceramic or ceramic composite. Nanophase metals, or nanophase metals with nanophase ceramics in a composite mixture, also have desirable characteristics, although their temperature capability is not as great as with all-ceramic nanophase material. Combinations of conventional or nanophase metals and conventional or nanophase ceramics can be employed as long as there is at least one nanophase material in the composite. The nuclear reactor so constructed has a number of high strength fuel particles, a nanophase structural material for supporting a fuel rod at high temperature, a configuration to allow passive cooling in the event of a primary cooling system failure, an ability to retain a coolable geometry even at highmore »
- Inventors:
-
- Schenectady, NY
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL), Niskayuna, NY (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 871835
- Patent Number(s):
- 5805657
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B82 - NANOTECHNOLOGY B82Y - SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC12-76SN00052
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- nuclear; fuel; elements; nanophase; materials; reactor; core; element; composed; temperature; array; rod; form; joined; geometry; cell; preferably; structures; particular; material; appropriate; mechanical; characteristics; avoid; strain; related; failure; temperatures; 3000; degree; type; pressurized; boiling; water; ceramic; composite; metals; ceramics; mixture; desirable; capability; all-ceramic; combinations; conventional; employed; constructed; strength; particles; structural; supporting; configuration; allow; passive; cooling; event; primary; ability; retain; coolable; resist; generation; hydrogen; gas; corrosion; mechanical characteristics; temperature material; fuel cell; core fuel; structural material; cell structure; water reactor; ceramic composite; passive cooling; hydrogen gas; fuel elements; fuel element; nuclear fuel; nuclear reactor; reactor core; fuel rod; boiling water; fuel particles; temperature ceramic; phase material; primary cooling; nanophase ceramics; nanophase materials; nanophase material; desirable characteristics; temperature materials; fuel particle; phase ceramic; nanophase ceramic; /376/
Citation Formats
Heubeck, Norman B. Nuclear fuel elements made from nanophase materials. United States: N. p., 1998.
Web.
Heubeck, Norman B. Nuclear fuel elements made from nanophase materials. United States.
Heubeck, Norman B. Thu .
"Nuclear fuel elements made from nanophase materials". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/871835.
@article{osti_871835,
title = {Nuclear fuel elements made from nanophase materials},
author = {Heubeck, Norman B},
abstractNote = {A nuclear reactor core fuel element is composed of nanophase high temperature materials. An array of the fuel elements in rod form are joined in an open geometry fuel cell that preferably also uses such nanophase materials for the cell structures. The particular high temperature nanophase fuel element material must have the appropriate mechanical characteristics to avoid strain related failure even at high temperatures, in the order of about 3000.degree. F. Preferably, the reactor type is a pressurized or boiling water reactor and the nanophase material is a high temperature ceramic or ceramic composite. Nanophase metals, or nanophase metals with nanophase ceramics in a composite mixture, also have desirable characteristics, although their temperature capability is not as great as with all-ceramic nanophase material. Combinations of conventional or nanophase metals and conventional or nanophase ceramics can be employed as long as there is at least one nanophase material in the composite. The nuclear reactor so constructed has a number of high strength fuel particles, a nanophase structural material for supporting a fuel rod at high temperature, a configuration to allow passive cooling in the event of a primary cooling system failure, an ability to retain a coolable geometry even at high temperatures, an ability to resist generation of hydrogen gas, and a configuration having good nuclear, corrosion, and mechanical characteristics.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998}
}