Cermet fuel element and fabrication and applications thereof, including in thermal propulsion reactor

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

United States of America

PATENT NO 11935661
SERIAL NO

17399859

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Importance

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Abstract

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CERMET fuel element includes a fuel meat of consolidated ceramic fuel particles (preferably refractory-metal coated HALEU fuel kernels) and an array of axially-oriented coolant flow channels. Formation and lateral positions of coolant flow channels in the fuel meat are controlled during manufacturing by spacer structures that include ceramic fuel particles. In one embodiment, a coating on a sacrificial rod (the rod being subsequently removed) forms the coolant channel and the spacer structures are affixed to the coating; in a second embodiment, a metal tube forms the coolant channel and the spacer structures are affixed to the metal tube. The spacer structures laterally position the coolant channels in spaced-apart relation and are consolidated with the ceramic fuel particles to form CERMET fuel meat of a fuel element, which are subsequently incorporated into fuel assemblies that are distributively arranged in a moderator block within a nuclear fission reactor, in particular for propulsion.

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddress
BWXT NUCLEAR ENERGY INC11525 N COMMUNITY HOUSE RD SUITE 600 CHARLOTTE NC 28277

International Classification(s)

Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Barringer, Eric A Rustburg, US 21 414
Jogerst, James D Forest, US 5 4

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