Westinghouse Electric Company LLC

Cenk Guler

Michael D Heibel

Jeffrey T Dederer

Thomas V Congedo

Yixing Sung

Joanna C Sutton

Baofu Lu

A variable diameter fuel rod of a nuclear reactor assembly is disclosed. The variable diameter fuel rod includes an elongated cladding tube configured to house a plurality of fuel pellets including a fissile material arranged in a fuel stack orientation. The elongated cladding tube includes first and second axial reflector regions and a middle axial region therebetween. The middle axial region comprises an outer diameter defined as d. The first and second axial reflector regions include an outer cladding diameter defined as dand d, respectively. The variable diameter fuel rod further includes a transitional region between the diameter dof the middle axial region and the diameter dof the axial reflector region. The diameter dof the axial reflector region is greater than the diameter dof the middle axial region.

Nuclear fuel rod having cladding with varying diameter

A nuclear battery is provided. The nuclear battery comprises a radiation source layer, a first electrical insulator layer, a casing layer, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The radiation source layer comprises a composition configurable to emit beta radiation. The first electrical insulator layer is disposed over the radiation source layer. The casing layer is disposed over the first electrical insulator layer. The casing layer comprises a composition configured to inhibit traversal of beta radiation. The first electrode is in electrical communication with the radiation source layer. The second electrode is in electrical communication with the casing layer. A voltage potential is present between the first electrode and the second electrode when the radiation source layer emits beta radiation.

Nuclear battery

Methods of manufacture for nuclear batteries are provided. The method comprises inserting a radiation source material into a cavity defined within a first component to form a radiation source layer. The first component comprises a first electrical insulator layer defining the cavity and a first casing layer disposed over the first electrical insulator layer. The method comprises contacting the first casing layer with a second casing layer of a second component to form an assembly. The second component comprises a second electrical insulator layer and the second casing layer disposed in contact with the second electrical insulator layer. The method comprises swaging the assembly to form the nuclear battery.

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Irwin, PA, United States of America

Cenk Guler