Nuclear reactor fuel element having silicon carbide multilayered cladding and thoria-based fissionable fuel

Abstract

A nuclear fuel element for use in water-cooled nuclear power reactors. The fuel element includes a multilayered silicon carbide cladding tube. The multilayered silicon carbide cladding tube preferably includes an inner layer and a central layer. Also, in one embodiment, the ends further include hermetically sealed end caps. The cladding tube is sized to receive a stack of individual fissionable fuel pellets. In one embodiment, the fuel pellets comprise a mixture of thorium oxide and plutonium oxide.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.