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US 11,923,098 B2Granted
Customizable thin plate fuel form and reactor core therefor
AssigneeHowe Industries LLC
InventorsTroy M. Howe, Steven D. Howe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A customizable thin plate fuel form and reactor core therefor are disclosed. The thin plate fuel will comprise a fuel material embedded within a matrix material, with the entire unit having a coating. The thin plate fuel may be flat or curved and will have flow channels formed within at least the top surface of the fuel plate. The structure of the thin plate fuel will make it easier for coating with Tungsten or any other suitable material that will help contain any byproducts, prevent reactions with the working fluid, and potentially provide structural support to the thin plate fuel.
Claims18
A reactor core comprising:
- a plurality of subcores that are spaced apart, wherein each subcore comprises:
- a housing;
- a plurality of stacked sections contained within the housing, each section comprising:
- a plurality of fuel plates;
- and
- a moderator plate;
- and
- an outer graphite sheath surrounding the stacked sections of the subcore;
- wherein each said fuel plate comprises:
- a center flow channel;
- a cermet fuel region having a plurality of flow channels carved into at least one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the cermet fuel region;
- and
- a coating that covers the cermet fuel region for containing any byproducts;
- and
- wherein additional moderator material is placed between the subcores;
- wherein the coating contacts surfaces of the plurality of flow channels without a gap between the coating and the matrix material.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.