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US 11,081,241 B2Granted
Nuclear fuel pebble and method of manufacturing the same
AssigneeX-energy, LLC
InventorsPeter Pappano, Martin Peter Van Staden
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims8
A nuclear fuel element, comprising:
- a fuel zone comprising first and second layers of fuel particles, the fuel particles comprising fissile particles, burnable poison particles, breeder particles, or a combination thereof;
- and
- a fuel-free shell surrounding the fuel zone,
- wherein the nuclear fuel element is formed by a method comprising:
- forming a graphite base portion;
- forming a first graphite layer on the graphite base portion by depositing graphite powder on the base portion;
- depositing the first layer of fuel particles in a predetermined pattern on the first graphite layer by controlling positioning of each particle within the first layer of particles;
- forming a second graphite layer on the first layer of fuel particles by depositing graphite powder on the first layer of fuel particles;
- depositing the second layer of fuel particles in a predetermined pattern on the second graphite layer by controlling positioning of each fuel particle within the second layer of particles;
- and
- forming a graphite cap portion,
- wherein:
- the fuel zone comprises portions of the first and second graphite layers;
- and
- the shell comprises the base portion, the cap portion, and portions of the first and second graphite layers.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.