The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 07, 2019
Filed:
Sep. 13, 2012
Eric P. Loewen, Wilmington, NC (US);
Zachary W. Kosslow, Wilmington, NC (US);
John F. Berger, Wilmington, NC (US);
Eric P. Loewen, Wilmington, NC (US);
Zachary W. Kosslow, Wilmington, NC (US);
John F. Berger, Wilmington, NC (US);
GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC, Wilmington, NC (US);
Abstract
A method of fabricating metallic fuel from surplus plutonium may include combining plutonium oxide powder and uranium oxide powder to obtain a mixed powder with reduced proliferation potential. The mixed powder may be electroreduced in a bath of molten salt so as to convert the mixed powder to a first alloy. The first alloy may be pressed to remove a majority of the molten salt adhered to the first alloy to form a pressed alloy-salt mixture. The first alloy may be isolated from the salt by melting the pressed alloy-salt mixture. The first alloy may be further processed to fabricate a fuel rod. Accordingly, the metallic fuel produced may be used in a fast reactor system, such as a Power Reactor Innovative Small Module (PRISM).