Sandia Corporation

National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC

Dennis L Youchison

Brian E Williams

Robert E Benander

Michail A Gallis

Jimmie M McDonald

Thomas J Lutz

A heat exchanger is disclosed that includes a cold heat exchange zone including a foam material having an annular geometry and having fluid distribution and collection slots configured to distribute a cooling fluid circumferentially through the foam material.

Circumferential flow foam heat exchanger

Porous nuclear fuel elements for use in advanced high temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors (HTGR's), and to processes for fabricating them. Advanced uranium bi-carbide, uranium tri-carbide and uranium carbonitride nuclear fuels can be used. These fuels have high melting temperatures, high thermal conductivity, and high resistance to erosion by hot hydrogen gas. Tri-carbide fuels, such as (U,Zr,Nb)C, can be fabricated using chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) to simultaneously deposit each of the three separate carbides, e.g., UC, ZrC, and NbC in a single CVI step. By using CVI, the nuclear fuel may be deposited inside of a highly porous skeletal structure made of, for example, reticulated vitreous carbon foam.

Methods for making a porous nuclear fuel element

Porous nuclear fuel element with internal skeleton for high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors

Porous nuclear fuel element for high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors

Methods and apparatus for depositing thermal barrier coatings on gas turbine blades and vanes using Electron Beam Physical Vapor Deposition (EBPVD) combined with Ion Beam Assisted Deposition (IBAD).

Ion beam assisted deposition of thermal barrier coatings

Methods for manufacturing porous nuclear fuel elements for use in advanced high temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors (HTGR's). Advanced uranium bi-carbide, uranium tri-carbide and uranium carbonitride nuclear fuels can be used. These fuels have high melting temperatures, high thermal conductivity, and high resistance to erosion by hot hydrogen gas. Tri-carbide fuels, such as (U,Zr,Nb)C, can be fabricated using chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) to simultaneously deposit each of the three separate carbides, e.g., UC, ZrC, and NbC in a single CVI step. By using CVI, a thin coating of nuclear fuel may be deposited inside of a highly porous skeletal structure made, for example, of reticulated vitreous carbon foam.

Growing community of inventors

Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

Dennis L Youchison