Nuclear reactor composite fuel assembly

Patent · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:863728

Burgess, Donn M ^[1]; Marr, Duane R ^[2]; Cappiello, Michael W ^[1]; Omberg, Ronald P ^[1]

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1. Richland, WA
2. West Richland, WA

A core and composite fuel assembly for a liquid-cooled breeder nuclear reactor including a plurality of elongated coextending driver and breeder fuel elements arranged to form a generally polygonal bundle within a thin-walled duct. The breeder elements are larger in cross section than the driver elements, and each breeder element is laterally bounded by a number of the driver elements. Each driver element further includes structure for spacing the driver elements from adjacent fuel elements and, where adjacent, the thin-walled duct. A core made up of the fuel elements can advantageously include fissile fuel of only one enrichment, while varying the effective enrichment of any given assembly or core region, merely by varying the relative number and size of the driver and breeder elements.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: E(45-1)-2170
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4235669
• OSTI ID: 863728
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

nuclear
reactor
composite
fuel
assembly
core
liquid-cooled
breeder
including
plurality
elongated
coextending
driver
elements
arranged
form
polygonal
bundle
thin-walled
duct
larger
section
element
laterally
bounded
structure
spacing
adjacent
advantageously
fissile
enrichment
varying
effective
region
merely
relative
size
reactor including
adjacent fuel
fuel elements
fuel element
nuclear reactor
fuel assembly
core region
composite fuel
elements arranged
breeder nuclear
breeder fuel
/376/976/