NUCLEAR REACTOR FUEL ELEMENT (VERSIONS) Russian patent published in 2012 - IPC G21C3/28 

FIELD: physics, nuclear.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to nuclear power and specifically to fuel rods and can be used in nuclear reactors of different types. The nuclear reactor fuel element contains a tube made from cladding material with tightly welded end plugs, in the inner cavity of which a fuel kernel assembled from coaxial pellets is placed with a spacing. The pellets contain pressed and sintered powder of a mixture of uranium compound particles which are uniform on density and effective size and carbon frame structures. Another version is a fuel element with zoned pellets. In that case, the central cylindrical zone and the outer annular zone of the pellet have a lower and higher volume content of carbon frame structures, respectively. In special cases, content of carbon frame structures in form of fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, nanofibres in the powder of the mixture is equal to 1.5-12.5 vol. % for a mixture with UO₂ and 1.2-10.4 vol. % for a mixture with UN. The pellet can have an axial hole and facets. The gap between the fuel kernel and the fuel element cladding can be filled with material with high heat conductivity.

EFFECT: reduced probability of disintegration of the fuel element cladding.

19 cl