Fully ceramic nuclear fuel and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9299464-B2
Application number	US-95911510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2010
Priority date	Dec 2, 2010
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

Various embodiments of a nuclear fuel for use in various types of nuclear reactors and/or waste disposal systems are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment of a nuclear fuel may include a fuel element having a plurality of tristructural-isotropic fuel particles embedded in a silicon carbide matrix. An exemplary method of manufacturing a nuclear fuel is also disclosed. The method may include providing a plurality of tristructural-isotropic fuel particles, mixing the plurality of tristructural-isotropic fuel particles with silicon carbide powder to form a precursor mixture, and compacting the precursor mixture at a predetermined pressure and temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nuclear fuel comprising:
a fuel element comprising a plurality of tristructural-isotropic fuel particles intermixed in a silicon carbide matrix, wherein the silicon carbide matrix separates at least one of the plurality of tristructural-isotropic fuel particles embedded in the silicon carbide matrix from the other tristructural-isotropic fuel particles embedded in the silicon carbide matrix, wherein the silicon carbide matrix has a density substantially equal to the theoretical density of stoichiometric silicon carbide.

2. The nuclear fuel of claim 1 , wherein each of the tristructural-isotropic fuel particles comprises a fuel kernel disposed substantially at the center and a ceramic layer surrounding the fuel kernel.

3. The nuclear fuel of claim 1 , wherein the fuel element has a shape of a cylindrical pellet.

4. The nuclear fuel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tubular enclosure defining an interior space, wherein an outer surface of the tubular enclosure is configured to contact a coolant of a nuclear reactor,
wherein the fuel element is disposed in the interior space.

5. The nuclear fuel of claim 4 , wherein the tubular enclosure is a metallic cladding tube.

6. The nuclear fuel of claim 1 , further comprising a graphite block having one or more holes, wherein the fuel element is disposed inside the one or more holes.

7. The nuclear fuel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tristructural-isotropic fuel particles comprise transuranic elements extracted from a spent fuel of a light water reactor.

8. The nuclear fuel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tristructural-isotropic fuel particles comprise transuranic elements extracted from a nuclear weapon.

9. A nuclear fuel comprising:
a fuel element comprising a plurality of tristructural-isotropic fuel particles intermixed in a silicon carbide matrix, wherein the silicon carbide matrix separates at least one of the plurality of tristructural-isotropic fuel particles embedded in the silicon carbide matrix from the other tristructural-isotropic fuel particles embedded in the silicon carbide matrix, wherein the silicon carbide matrix is near-stoichiometric and has pockets of porosity of not more than 4%, and wherein the pockets include only rare earth oxides or tramp elements.

10. The nuclear fuel of claim 9 , wherein the fuel element has a shape of a cylindrical pellet.

11. The nuclear fuel of claim 9 , further comprising:
a tubular enclosure defining an interior space, wherein an outer surface of the tubular enclosure is configured to contact a coolant of a nuclear reactor,
wherein the fuel element is disposed in the interior space.

12. The nuclear fuel of claim 9 , further comprising a graphite block having one or more holes, wherein the fuel element is disposed inside the one or more holes.

13. The nuclear fuel of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of tristructural-isotropic fuel particles comprise transuranic elements extracted from a spent fuel of a light water reactor.

14. The nuclear fuel of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of tristructural-isotropic fuel particles comprise transuranic elements extracted from a nuclear weapon.

Assignees

• Venneri Francesco
• Katoh Yutai
• Snead Lance Lewis
• Ut Battelle Llc
• Logos Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Venneri Francesco
• Katoh Yutai
• Snead Lance Lewis

Classifications

• G21C3/62 Primary

  Ceramic fuel · CPC title

• G21C21/02 Primary

  Manufacture of fuel elements or breeder elements contained in non-active casings · CPC title

• G21C3/626

  Coated fuel particles · CPC title

• G21C21/04

  by vibrational compaction or tamping {of fuel in the jacket} · CPC title

• G21C3/20 Primary

  with coating on fuel or on inside of casing; with non-active interlayer between casing and active material {with multiple casings or multiple active layers} · CPC title