URANIUM FUEL ASSEMBLY FOR A LIGHT WATER REACTOR AND METHOD OF OPERATION OF A NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE Russian patent published in 2023 - IPC G21G1/00 G21C19/46 

FIELD: uranium fuel assembly.

SUBSTANCE: invention is related to uranium fuel assembly (7) of a light water reactor and a method for implementing a nuclear fuel cycle. In the method, the americium isotope is extracted during spent fuel reprocessing in order to add it to the fuel, and the mass fraction W, in % by weight of americium 241 is added to the nuclear fuel heavy metal is in the following ranges: W < -0.006e ² + 0.12e - 0.43 with an enrichment of 5% by weight or more, W < -0.000356e + 0.00357 with an enrichment of 4.2% by weight or more and less than 5.0% by weight in relation to the average enrichment e of uranium 235, in % by weight, of fuel assembly (7). In embodiments, the assembly contains rods (3) of uranium fuel containing a uranium isotope as a fissile nuclear material and not containing a neutron absorber, and rods (4) of a neutron absorber containing a uranium isotope and a neutron absorber, while the added americium is contained only in each of rods (3) of uranium fuel.

EFFECT: reduction of heat release of Am-241 and Cm-244 to reduce the amount of vitrified waste generated, without the use of fast reactors.

4 cl, 22 dwg