Additive manufacturing technique for placing nuclear reactor fuel within fibers

US10546661B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Free Form Fibers, LLC · US

Inventors

• Joseph PEGNA · Saratoga Springs, US
• Erik Vaaler · Redwood City, US
• Shay L. HARRISON · East Schodack, US
• John L. Schneiter · Cohoes, US
• Kirk L. WILLIAMS · Saratoga Springs, US
• Ram K. GODUGUCHINTA · Ballston Lake, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 23, 2015
• Grant date: Jan 28, 2020
• Expiry date: Jul 21, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E30/30
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Nuclear fuel structures and methods for fabricating are disclosed herein. The nuclear fuel structure includes a plurality of fibers arranged in the structure and a multilayer fuel region within at least one fiber of the plurality of fibers. The multilayer fuel region includes an inner layer region made of a nuclear fuel material, and an outer layer region encasing the nuclear fuel material. A plurality of discrete multilayer fuel regions may be formed over a core region along the at least one fiber, the plurality of discrete multilayer fuel regions having a respective inner layer region of nuclear fuel material and a respective outer layer region encasing the nuclear fuel material. The plurality of fibers may be wrapped around an inner rod or tube structure or inside an outer tube structure of the nuclear fuel structure, providing both structural support and the nuclear fuel material of the nuclear fuel structure.