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US 2026/0245755 A1Published application
Coextruded fuel pellets and methods of manufacture thereof
OwnerPatrick John MOO, John Darrell BESSinventors
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Abstract
A system may obtain a first precursor material containing a nuclear fuel. A system may obtain a second precursor material. A system may coextrude the first precursor material and the second precursor material wherein the first precursor material is extruded as a first pellet material in a first region of the fuel pellet, and the second precursor material is extruded as a second pellet material in a second region of the fuel pellet contacting the first region.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing a fuel pellet:
- obtaining a first precursor material containing a nuclear fuel;
- obtaining a second precursor material;
- and
- coextruding the first precursor material and the second precursor material wherein the first precursor material is extruded as a first pellet material in a first region of the fuel pellet, and the second precursor material is extruded as a second pellet material in a second region of the fuel pellet contacting the first region.
1 more element
A nuclear fuel pellet comprising:
- a first pellet material containing a first nuclear fuel positioned in a first region proximate a longitudinal axis of the nuclear fuel pellet;
- and
- a second pellet material positioned in a second region around at least a radially outermost surface of the first material relative to the longitudinal axis, wherein the second region has a thickness of less than 500 micrometers.
A method of manufacturing a fuel pellet:
- injection molding a first precursor material containing a nuclear fuel in a first region with a longitudinal axis;
- coextruding a second precursor material via injection molding in a second region around at least a radially outermost surface of the first region relative to the longitudinal axis;
- debinding at least one of the first precursor material and the second precursor material;
- sintering at least one of the first precursor material and the second precursor material;
- and
- densifying at least one of the first precursor material and the second precursor material.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.