Yttrium and rare earth stabilized fast reactor metal fuel
Abstract
To increase the operating temperature of a reactor, the melting point and mechanical properties of the fuel must be increased. For an actinide-rich fuel, yttrium, lanthanum and/or rare earth elements can be added, as stabilizers, to uranium and plutonium and/or a mixture of other actinides to raise the melting point of the fuel and improve its mechanical properties. Since only about 1% of the actinide fuel may be yttrium, lanthanum, or a rare earth element, the neutron penalty is low, the reactor core size can be reduced, the fuel can be burned efficiently, reprocessing requirements are reduced, and the nuclear waste disposal volumes reduced. A further advantage occurs when yttrium, lanthanum, and/or other rare earth elements are exposed to radiation in a reactor, they produce only short half life radioisotopes, which reduce nuclear waste disposal problems through much shorter assured-isolation requirements.
- Inventors:
-
- Woodland Hills, CA
- Calabasas, CA
- Simi Valley, CA
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Rockwell International Corp., Canoga Park, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 868283
- Patent Number(s):
- 5112534
- Application Number:
- 07/489296
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
- 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:
- AC03-88SF17468
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 1990 Mar 05
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- yttrium; rare; earth; stabilized; fast; reactor; metal; fuel; increase; operating; temperature; melting; mechanical; properties; increased; actinide-rich; lanthanum; elements; added; stabilizers; uranium; plutonium; mixture; actinides; raise; improve; actinide; element; neutron; penalty; core; size; reduced; burned; efficiently; reprocessing; requirements; nuclear; waste; disposal; volumes; advantage; occurs; exposed; radiation; produce; half; life; radioisotopes; reduce; shorter; assured-isolation; waste disposal; earth elements; reactor core; rare earth; mechanical properties; operating temperature; nuclear waste; earth element; fast reactor; half life; reactor metal; metal fuel; actinide fuel; /252/376/420/976/
Citation Formats
Guon, Jerold, Grantham, LeRoy F., and Specht, Eugene R. Yttrium and rare earth stabilized fast reactor metal fuel. United States: N. p., 1992.
Web.
Guon, Jerold, Grantham, LeRoy F., & Specht, Eugene R. Yttrium and rare earth stabilized fast reactor metal fuel. United States.
Guon, Jerold, Grantham, LeRoy F., and Specht, Eugene R. Wed .
"Yttrium and rare earth stabilized fast reactor metal fuel". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/868283.
@article{osti_868283,
title = {Yttrium and rare earth stabilized fast reactor metal fuel},
author = {Guon, Jerold and Grantham, LeRoy F. and Specht, Eugene R.},
abstractNote = {To increase the operating temperature of a reactor, the melting point and mechanical properties of the fuel must be increased. For an actinide-rich fuel, yttrium, lanthanum and/or rare earth elements can be added, as stabilizers, to uranium and plutonium and/or a mixture of other actinides to raise the melting point of the fuel and improve its mechanical properties. Since only about 1% of the actinide fuel may be yttrium, lanthanum, or a rare earth element, the neutron penalty is low, the reactor core size can be reduced, the fuel can be burned efficiently, reprocessing requirements are reduced, and the nuclear waste disposal volumes reduced. A further advantage occurs when yttrium, lanthanum, and/or other rare earth elements are exposed to radiation in a reactor, they produce only short half life radioisotopes, which reduce nuclear waste disposal problems through much shorter assured-isolation requirements.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992}
}