Atomic Energy of Canada Limited

Cathy Cottrell

Sermet Kuran

Mustapha Boubcher

Robert R Bodner

Holly Bruce Hamilton

Bronwyn H Hyland

Benoit Arsenault

Holly-Bruce Hamilton

Eric Carl Alemendra Araujo

Fuel bundles for a nuclear reactor are disclosed, and in some embodiments include a first fuel element including thorium dioxide; a second fuel element including uranium having a first fissile content; and a third fuel element including uranium having a second fissile content different from the first fissile content. Nuclear reactors using such fuel bundles are also disclosed, including pressurized heavy water nuclear reactors. The uranium having the different fissile contents can include combinations of natural uranium, depleted uranium, recycled uranium, slightly enriched uranium, and low enriched uranium.

Nuclear fuel bundle containing thorium and nuclear reactor comprising same

Fuel bundles for a nuclear reactor are described and illustrated, and in some cases includes fuel elements each having a first fuel component of recycled uranium, and a second fuel component of at least one of depleted uranium and natural uranium blended with the first fuel component, wherein the blended first and second fuel components have a first fissile content of less than 1.2% wt ofU. Other fuel bundles are also described and illustrated, and include a first fuel element including recycled uranium, the first fuel element having a first fissile content of no less than 0.72 wt % ofU; and a second fuel element including at least one of depleted uranium and natural uranium, the second fuel element having a second fissile content of no greater than 0.71 wt % ofU.

Nuclear fuel containing recycled and depleted uranium, and nuclear fuel bundle and nuclear reactor comprising same

Nuclear fuels for nuclear reactors are described, and include nuclear fuels having a first fuel component of recycled uranium, and a second fuel component of depleted uranium blended with the first fuel component, wherein the blended first and second fuel components have a fissile content of less than 1.2 wt % ofU. Also described are nuclear fuels having a first fuel component of recycled uranium, and a second fuel component of natural uranium blended with the first fuel component, wherein the blended first and second fuel components have a fissile content of less than 1.2 wt % ofU.

Fuel bundles for a nuclear reactor are described and illustrated, and in some cases include fuel elements each having a fissile content ofU between about 0.9 wt %U and 5.0 wt %U, and wherein at least one of the fuel elements is a poisoned low-enriched uranium fuel element including a neutron poison in a concentration greater than about 5.0 vol %.

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Ancaster, Canada

Cathy Cottrell