Furnace for microwave sintering of nuclear fuel
AssigneeFramatome ANP GmbH
InventorsWolfgang Dörr, Thorsten Gerdes, Gerhard Gradel, Bruno Schmitt, Monika Willert-Porada
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A furnace is provided for microwave sintering of nuclear fuel. A stationary wave is generated in an antenna cavity and used to extract microwaves through slots into a resonance chamber containing the nuclear fuel. A position of the slots is adjusted in such a way that a predetermined temperature profile is produced in the nuclear fuel.
Claims21
A microwave furnace for treating nuclear fuel at temperatures of between 20 and 2000° C. and an average temperature of between 1220 and 1800° C., comprising:
- a resonance chamber shielded on all sides by walls reflecting microwaves;
- a gassing and degassing system associated with said resonance chamber;
- at least one holder for nuclear fuel in said resonance chamber;
- an access for introducing nuclear fuel into and removing nuclear fuel from said resonance chamber;
- an antenna cavity;
- at least one waveguide closed at one end thereof and opening into said antenna cavity at an opposite end thereof;
- a microwave radiator fitted in said at least one waveguide, said at least one antenna cavity being shielded on all sides by walls reflecting microwaves except at the opening into said at least one waveguide and being matched to a frequency of said microwave radiator for generating a stationary wave;
- and
- a separating wall separating said antenna cavity from said resonance chamber, said separating wall having at least one narrow opening formed therein providing an interconnection between said antenna cavity and said resonance chamber, said at least one narrow opening being slots.
A microwave furnace for producing sintered nuclear fuel compacts by sintering molded green compacts of nuclear fuel in a sintering gas at average temperatures of between 1200 and 1800° C., comprising:
- an elongate resonance chamber shielded on all sides by walls reflecting microwaves, said resonance chamber having a longitudinal side and a longitudinal direction;
- a gassing and degassing system associated with said resonance chamber;
- at least one elongate holder associated with said resonance chamber for holding green compacts;
- an access associated with said resonance chamber for introduction of green compacts and removal of sintered compacts;
- a waveguide having a closed end;
- a microwave radiator disposed at said closed end of said waveguide, said microwave radiator having a frequency;
- said waveguide being positioned on said longitudinal side of said resonance chamber and having an open end opposite to said closed end, said waveguide further forming a rectilinear channel piece at least at said open end;
- a cuboidal elongate antenna cavity having an opening;
- said rectilinear channel piece having a rectangular cross-section matched to said frequency of said microwave radiator and leading into said opening of said cuboidal elongate antenna cavity;
- said cuboidal elongate antenna cavity being shielded on all sides except at said opening by walls reflecting microwaves and being constructed for formation of a stationary wave of said frequency of said microwave radiator;
- and
- a separating wall separating said antenna cavity from said resonance chamber;
- said antenna cavity being connected to said resonance chamber by a plurality of slots mutually offset in said longitudinal direction of said resonance chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.