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Title: Nuclear fuel elements having a composite cladding

Abstract

An improved nuclear fuel element is disclosed for use in the core of nuclear reactors. The improved nuclear fuel element has a composite cladding of an outer portion forming a substrate having on the inside surface a metal layer selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, iron and alloys of the foregoing with a gap between the composite cladding and the core of nuclear fuel. The nuclear fuel element comprises a container of the elongated composite cladding, a central core of a body of nuclear fuel material disposed in and partially filling the container and forming an internal cavity in the container, an enclosure integrally secured and sealed at each end of said container and a nuclear fuel material retaining means positioned in the cavity. The metal layer of the composite cladding prevents perforations or failures in the cladding substrate from stress corrosion cracking or from fuel pellet-cladding interaction or both. The substrate of the composite cladding is selected from conventional cladding materials and preferably is a zirconium alloy.

Inventors:
; ;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
General Electric Co., San Jose, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
864710
Patent Number(s):
4406012
Application Number:
06/228,344
Assignee:
General Electric Company (San Jose, CA)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
DOE Contract Number:  
AC02-77ET34001
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 1981 Jan 26
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
nuclear; fuel; elements; composite; cladding; improved; element; disclosed; core; reactors; outer; portion; forming; substrate; inside; surface; metal; layer; selected; consisting; copper; nickel; iron; alloys; foregoing; gap; comprises; container; elongated; central; material; disposed; partially; filling; internal; cavity; enclosure; integrally; secured; sealed; retaining; means; positioned; prevents; perforations; failures; stress; corrosion; cracking; pellet-cladding; interaction; conventional; materials; preferably; zirconium; alloy; central core; stress corrosion; retaining means; means positioned; corrosion cracking; fuel pellet; outer portion; composite cladding; zirconium alloy; nuclear reactors; inside surface; fuel material; metal layer; fuel elements; fuel element; nuclear fuel; nuclear reactor; material disposed; internal cavity; cladding material; portion forming; cladding materials; element comprises; improved nuclear; cladding prevents; /376/976/

Citation Formats

Gordon, Gerald M., Cowan, II, Robert L., and Davies, John H. Nuclear fuel elements having a composite cladding. United States: N. p., 1983. Web.
Gordon, Gerald M., Cowan, II, Robert L., & Davies, John H. Nuclear fuel elements having a composite cladding. United States.
Gordon, Gerald M., Cowan, II, Robert L., and Davies, John H. Tue . "Nuclear fuel elements having a composite cladding". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/864710.
@article{osti_864710,
title = {Nuclear fuel elements having a composite cladding},
author = {Gordon, Gerald M. and Cowan, II, Robert L. and Davies, John H.},
abstractNote = {An improved nuclear fuel element is disclosed for use in the core of nuclear reactors. The improved nuclear fuel element has a composite cladding of an outer portion forming a substrate having on the inside surface a metal layer selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, iron and alloys of the foregoing with a gap between the composite cladding and the core of nuclear fuel. The nuclear fuel element comprises a container of the elongated composite cladding, a central core of a body of nuclear fuel material disposed in and partially filling the container and forming an internal cavity in the container, an enclosure integrally secured and sealed at each end of said container and a nuclear fuel material retaining means positioned in the cavity. The metal layer of the composite cladding prevents perforations or failures in the cladding substrate from stress corrosion cracking or from fuel pellet-cladding interaction or both. The substrate of the composite cladding is selected from conventional cladding materials and preferably is a zirconium alloy.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Sep 20 00:00:00 EDT 1983},
month = {Tue Sep 20 00:00:00 EDT 1983}
}