Westinghouse Electric Company LLC

Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Zeses Karoutas

Edward Jean Lahoda

Peng Xu

Paul M Evans

Radu O Pomirleanu

Sumit Ray

Joonhyung Choi

Robert L Oelrich

Michael J Hone

Kumar Sridharan

Greg Johnson

Frank A Boylan

Ho Q Lam

Mitchell E Nissley

Raymond E Schneider

Benjamin Maier

Summit Ray

A control rod for a nuclear fuel assembly is described herein that includes a neutron absorbing material having a melting point greater than 1500° C. that does not form a eutectic with a melting point less than 1500° C., and may further include a cladding material having a melting point greater than 1500° C. The cladding material is selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, zirconium, a zirconium alloy, tungsten, and molybdenum. The absorbing material is selected from the group consisting of GdO, Ir, BC, Re, and Hf. The metal cladding or the absorbing material may be coated with an anti-oxidation coating of Cr with or without a Nb intermediate layer.

Control rods for light water reactors

A spacer grid specifically designed for accident tolerant fuel utilizing fuel rods with SiC cladding for implementation in pressurized water reactors. The spacer grid design allows for ease of SiC fuel rod insertion during the fuel assembly fabrication process by providing a smooth contact geometry. The co-planar support allows the fuel rods to be rotated axially more freely at the grid location than a conventional six-point contact geometry used in existing fuel assembly designs. The fuel rod support cells are attached at their corners which are shared between adjacent support cells.

Spacer grid using tubular cells

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, SC, United States of America

Zeses Karoutas