METHOD OF MAKING FUEL ELEMENT OF HIGH-TEMPERATURE REACTOR Russian patent published in 2015 - IPC G21C21/02 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: method includes making an array based on plates (2) made of carbon materials, having mounting seats with micro-fuel elements (1) with protective coatings. According to the invention, the carbon material used is high-density isotropic graphite; the plates have thickness equal to 2-3 times the diameter of the micro-fuel element; the mounting seats in the plates are in the form of depressions with a rounded bottom for each micro-fuel element, having a diameter equal to 1.4-1.6 times the diameter of the micro-fuel element, with spacing equal to 2.5-3.5 times the diameter of the micro-fuel element and depth equal to 1.6-2.2 times the diameter of the micro-fuel element; the micro-fuel elements with protective coatings are coated with a matrix composition (3) with layer thickness of 150-250 mcm. Further, the micro-fuel elements are fit into said depressions, each of which is filled with the matrix composition to the top of the plate after fitting the micro-fuel element. The plates are then bound to each other by carbon binder in amount of 0.02-0.06 times the weight of the plate and heat treated at 1800-1900°C.

EFFECT: high strength of a fuel element and heat conductivity thereof owing to reduced volume of voids in the fuel element array, low probability of penetration defects in the coated micro-fuel elements and low fission-product yield.

2 cl, 1 dwg