Patent · US Expired

Nuclear fuel rod

US7570728B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by

6References

7Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB · SE

Inventors

Gunnar Hultquist · Stallarholmen, SE
Magnus Limbäck · Västerås, SE
Per Tagtstrom · Skultuna, SE
Eric Hörnlund · Stockholm, SE

Key dates

Filing date	Dec 5, 2003
Grant date	Aug 4, 2009
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Feb 2, 2024

Classification

Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
CPC primaryY02E30/30
WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

In a nuclear fuel rod a cladding tube is provided having a closed inner space and manufactured from at least one of the materials in the group zirconium and a zirconium-based alloy, and a pile of nuclear fuel pellets arranged in the inner space in the cladding tube. The nuclear fuel pellets fill part of the inner space. A fill gas is arranged in the closed inner space to fill the rest of the inner space. The internal pressure of the fill gas in the nuclear fuel rod amounts to at least 2 bar (abs) or at least 10 bar (abs). The fill gas contains a proportion of inert gas a proportion of carbon monoxide that is greater than 3 volume percent of the fill gas or greater than 2 volume percent of the fill gas.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.