Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC

U.S. Department of Energy

The United States of America as Represented by the Department of Energy

Robert Dominick Mariani

Douglas Lloyd Porter

Steven Herrmann

Brian Robert Westphal

Pavel G Medvedev

Fuel pellets and fuel pellet arrangements include thermally-conductive inserts within a fuel. The inserts have at least one portion of a thermally-conductive material, such as radially-extending fins. The inserts are configured to dissipate heat during use of the fuel pellets, while minimizing the amount of the total volume of the fuel pellet that is occupied by non-fissile material. The inclusion of heat-dissipating inserts enables the fuel pellets to exhibit improved thermal performance over the lifetime of the fuel, including a relatively low peak temperature and relatively low integrated average temperatures, while the minimal volume of the inserts avoids significantly decreasing the percent of enrichment achievable.

Reactor fuel pellets with thermally-conductive inserts, and related reactor fuel pellet arrangements

A composition includes a metal alloy matrix comprising iron and a plurality of nanoparticles dispersed within the metal alloy matrix. Each nanoparticle of the plurality comprises an oxide of a rare-earth metal and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of tantalum, niobium, vanadium, and titanium. Some compositions include a metal alloy matrix comprising iron and a plurality of nanoparticles comprising at least two different oxides of rare-earth metals dispersed within the metal alloy matrix. Some methods include mixing an oxide of a rare-earth metal with a first metal and a second metal. Other methods include mixing a plurality of particles comprising at least one oxide of a rare-earth metal with a molten metal comprising iron. Each particle of the plurality may exhibit a density between about 6.9 g/cmand about 9.0 g/cm.

Compositions of particles comprising rare-earth oxides in a metal alloy matrix and related methods

Systems and methods for accident tolerant oxide fuel. One or more disks can be placed between fuel pellets comprising UO, wherein such disks possess a higher thermal conductivity material than that of the UOto provide enhanced heat rejection thereof. Additionally, a cladding coating comprising zircaloy coated with a material that provides stability and high melting capability can be provided. The pellets can be configured as annular pellets having an annulus filled with the higher thermal conductivity material. The material coating the zircaloy can be, for example, ZrSior another silicide such as, for example, a Zr-Silicide that limits corrosion. The aforementioned higher thermal conductivity material can be, for example, Si, ZrSi, Zr, or AlO.

Accident-tolerant oxide fuel and cladding

Nuclear fuel alloys or mixtures and methods of making nuclear fuel mixtures are provided. Pseudo-binary actinide-M fuel mixtures form alloys and exhibit: body-centered cubic solid phases at low temperatures; high solidus temperatures; and/or minimal or no reaction or inter-diffusion with steel and other cladding materials. Methods described herein through metallurgical and thermodynamics advancements guide the selection of amounts of fuel mixture components by use of phase diagrams. Weight percentages for components of a metallic additive to an actinide fuel are selected in a solid phase region of an isothermal phase diagram taken at a temperature below an upper temperature limit for the resulting fuel mixture in reactor use. Fuel mixtures include uranium-molybdenum-tungsten, uranium-molybdenum-tantalum, molybdenum-titanium-zirconium, and uranium-molybdenum-titanium systems.

Nuclear fuel alloys or mixtures and method of making thereof

Zirconium-based metal alloy compositions comprise zirconium, a first additive in which the permeability of hydrogen decreases with increasing temperatures at least over a temperature range extending from 350&#xb0; C. to 750&#xb0; C., and a second additive having a solubility in zirconium over the temperature range extending from 350&#xb0; C. to 750&#xb0; C. At least one of a solubility of the first additive in the second additive over the temperature range extending from 350&#xb0; C. to 750&#xb0; C. and a solubility of the second additive in the first additive over the temperature range extending from 350&#xb0; C. to 750&#xb0; C. is higher than the solubility of the second additive in zirconium over the temperature range extending from 350&#xb0; C. to 750&#xb0; C. Nuclear fuel rods include a cladding material comprising such metal alloy compositions, and nuclear reactors include such fuel rods. Methods are used to fabricate such zirconium-based metal alloy compositions.

Zirconium-based alloys, nuclear fuel rods and nuclear reactors including such alloys, and related methods

A method for the production of UClsalt without the use of hazardous chemicals or multiple apparatuses for synthesis and purification is provided. Uranium metal is combined in a reaction vessel with a metal chloride and a eutectic salt- and heated to a first temperature under vacuum conditions to promote reaction of the uranium metal with the metal chloride for the production of a UClsalt. After the reaction has run substantially to completion, the furnace is heated to a second temperature under vacuum conditions. The second temperature is sufficiently high to selectively vaporize the chloride salts and distill them into a condenser region.

Method for the production of uranium chloride salt

A basket, for use in the reduction of UO to uranium metal and in the electrorefining of uranium metal, having a continuous annulus between inner and outer perforated cylindrical walls, with a screen adjacent to each wall. A substantially solid bottom and top plate enclose the continuous annulus defining a fuel bed. A plurality of scrapers are mounted adjacent to the outer wall extending longitudinally thereof, and there is a mechanism enabling the basket to be transported remotely.

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Idaho Falls, ID, United States of America

Robert Dominick Mariani