Plasma thermoelement
OwnerAleksandr Rybnikovinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plasma thermoelement which is built into the immediate volume of a nuclear fuel mass of a nuclear fuel element is described which comprises a snorkel (12) which is surrounded by a nuclear fuel mass (14) which in turn is surrounded by a cladding (16). Both the exit end of the snorkel and the cladding are connected electrically only via an external load. The nuclear fuel mass is formed from a multitude of the ceramic nuclear fuel microspheres (24). The use of plasma as high-temperature conductor of thermoelement permits to increase conversion efficiency and decrease mass of conversion system.
Claims8
A plasma thermoelement which is built into the immediate volume of a nuclear fuel mass of a nuclear fuel element, comprising:
- (a) a snorkel,
- (b) a nuclear fuel mass having an intercommunicative porosity and surrounding the most part of said snorkel,
- (c) a cladding surrounding both said nuclear fuel mass and most of said snorkel and connected electrically with said snorkel only via external load,
- (d) an insulator insulating the exit end of said snorkel from said cladding.
A method for using plasma as a high-temperature conductor of thermoelement, comprising the steps of:
- (a) fission-heating a nuclear fuel mass with an intercommunicative porosity to the temperature which simultaneously offers the prospect of both the conductivity of said nuclear fuel mass and the emission of electrons into the volume of said intercommunicative porosity;
- and
- (b) removing electrons from said plasma into a cladding of a nuclear fuel element and then supplying them to said nuclear fuel mass via an external load and a snorkel positioned into the volume of said nuclear fuel mass and insulated from said cladding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.