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. 28, 2024
Filed:
Apr. 25, 2022
Ut-battelle, Llc, Oak Ridge, TN (US);
Christian M. Petrie, Oak Ridge, TN (US);
Phillip C. Chesser, Oak Ridge, TN (US);
Benjamin R. Betzler, Oak Ridge, TN (US);
Ryan R. Dehoff, Oak Ridge, TN (US);
Kevin G. Field, Oak Ridge, TN (US);
Kurt A. Terrani, Oak Ridge, TN (US);
UT-BATTELLE, LLC, Oak Ridge, TN (US);
Abstract
A nuclear fuel cladding with improved thermomechanical properties is provided. The nuclear fuel cladding includes a double-walled construction having inner and outer hexagonal sidewalls. The inner sidewall and the outer sidewall are spaced apart from each other to form a cooling channel therebetween, and the inner sidewall surrounds a nuclear fuel and is spaced apart from the nuclear fuel by a small gap. Helical fins extend into the cooling channel to interconnect the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall. Resilient fingers extend toward the nuclear fuel through the small gap to comply with variations in the size of the nuclear fuel due to fabrication tolerances as well as thermal expansion and swelling of the nuclear fuel, for example UO, when undergoing fission. The nuclear fuel cladding is formed according to an additive manufacturing process, for example laser powder bed fusion printing.