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US 10,770,187 B2Granted
Nuclear fuel pebble and method of manufacturing the same
AssigneeX-energy, LLC
InventorsPeter Pappano, Martin Van Staden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Nuclear fuel elements may include: a fuel zone including fuel particles disposed in parallel layers in a matrix including graphite powder; and a shell comprising graphite and surrounding the fuel zone. The fuel particles may include fissile particles, burnable poison particles, breeder particles, or a combination thereof. The fuel zone may include a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region, and a fuel particle density of the peripheral region may be greater than a fuel particle density of the central region.
Claims11
A nuclear fuel element comprising:
- a fuel zone comprising:
- fuel particles disposed in parallel layers and in a predetermined pattern, the fuel particles comprising fissile particles, burnable poison particles, breeder particles, or a combination thereof;
- and
- a matrix configured to separate the fuel particles, the matrix comprising graphite powder, graphite spheres, or a combination thereof;
- and
- a fuel particle-free shell comprising graphite powder and surrounding the fuel zone, wherein:
- the fuel zone comprises a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region;
- a fuel particle density of the peripheral region is greater than a fuel particle density of the central region;
- and
- the matrix comprises layers of graphite powder configured to separate adjacent layers of fuel particles.
7 more elements
A nuclear fuel element comprising:
- a fuel zone comprising:
- fuel particles disposed in parallel layers and in a predetermined pattern, the fuel particles comprising fissile particles, burnable poison particles, breeder particles, or a combination thereof;
- and
- a matrix configured to separate the fuel particles, the matrix comprising graphite powder, graphite spheres, or a combination thereof;
- and
- a fuel particle-free shell comprising graphite powder and surrounding the fuel zone, wherein:
- the fuel zone comprises a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region;
- a fuel particle density of the peripheral region is greater than a fuel particle density of the central region;
- and
- the central region is free of fuel particles.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.