Fissionable nuclear fuel composition
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsRichard A. Proebstle, Mickey O. Marlowe, Anthony P. Reese
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Abstract
The disclosed invention consists of a ceramic form of fuel for a nuclear reactor comprising an oxide of a fissionable element and containing therein a consumable neutron absorbing agent. The ceramic fissionable fuel product provides longer fuel performance in nuclear reactor service.
Claims10
A fissionable nuclear fuel composition for service in a nuclear reactor fuel core consisting essentially of a ceramic body of fissionable oxide fuel material selected from the group consisting of uranium oxides, plutonium oxide and thorium oxides, and mixtures thereof, and containing dispersed throughout the ceramic body of fissionable oxide fuel material at least one boron depletable neutron absorbent selected from the group consisting boron nitride, boron oxide and boron silicide in amounts of from about 0.02 up to about 0.50 percent by weight of the fissionable oxide fuel material.
A pellet of a fissionable nuclear fuel composition for service in a nuclear reactor fuel consisting essentially of a ceramic pellet of fissionable oxides fuel material selected from the group consisting of uranium oxides, plutonium oxides and thorium oxide, and mixtures thereof, and containing dispersed throughout the ceramic pellet of fissionable oxide fuel material at least one boron depletable neutron absorbent selected from the group consisting of boron nitride, boron oxide and boron silicide in amounts of from about 0.02 up to about 0.50 percent by weight of the fissionable oxides fuel material.
A pellet of fissionable nuclear fuel composition for service in a water cooled and moderated nuclear reactor fuel core consisting essentially of a ceramic pellet of fissionable oxide fuel material consisting essentially of uranium dioxide and containing dispersed throughout the ceramic pellet of uranium dioxide fissionable fuel material at least one boron depletable neutron absorbent power selected from the group consisting essentially of boron nitride, boron oxide and boron silicide in amounts of from about 0.04 up to about 0.35 percent by weight of the fissionable oxide fuel material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.