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Triso fuel for high burn-up nuclear engine

a nuclear engine and high-burning technology, applied in nuclear reactors, nuclear elements, greenhouse gas reduction, etc., can solve the problems of significant technical challenges to achieve an economy and difficult long-term sustainability

Inactive Publication Date: 2011-04-21
UNKNOWN
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]Numerous benefits are achieved by way of the present invention over conventional techniques. For example, the present technique provides a robust fuel for Laser Inertial-confinement Fusion-fission Energy (often referred to herein as LIFE) nuclear engines that is able to achieve high (e.g., over 95% and up to 99.9%) burn-up of the fissile material in t

Problems solved by technology

Several factors, however, make its long-term sustainability difficult.
Thus, significant technical challenges remain to achieve an economy powered by pure inertial confinement fusion energy.

Method used

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  • Triso fuel for high burn-up nuclear engine
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  • Triso fuel for high burn-up nuclear engine

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Embodiment Construction

[0023]According to the present invention, techniques related to nuclear engine fuel are provided. More particularly, an embodiment of the present invention provides an enhanced fuel particle suitable for use in a laser inertial confinement fusion-fission power plant. Such an engine is described in more detail in our commonly assigned copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Control of a Laser Inertial Confinement Fusion-Fission Power Plant,” filed contemporaneously with this application, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. Merely by way of example, the invention has been applied to the design and fabrication of a robust tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle capable of high burn-up as well as a fuel pebble including a plurality of the robust TRISO particles. The methods and systems described herein are also applicable to other nuclear power plant designs. Additional discussion related to nuclear fusion-fission engines is provided in U.S. patent...

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Abstract

A fuel particle for use in a fusion-fission nuclear engine includes a fuel kernel and a buffer layer surrounding the fuel kernel. The fuel particle also includes a pyrolytic carbon layer surrounding the buffer layer and a silicon carbide layer surrounding the buffer layer. The silicon carbide is characterized by a stress less than 450 MPa at 95% burn-up. The fuel particle further includes a second pyrolytic carbon layer surrounding the silicon carbide layer.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 997,780, filed on Oct. 4, 2007, entitled “Hybrid Fusion-Fission Reactor,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 130,200, filed on May 29, 2008, entitled “Hybrid Fusion-Fission Reactor Using Laser Inertial Confinement Fusion,” the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT[0002]The United States Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. DE-AC52-07NA27344 between the United States Department of Energy and Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Projections by the Energy Information Agency and current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios expect worldwide electric power demand to double from its current leve...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): G21C3/00C10L5/40
CPCG21B1/01G21B1/19Y02E30/16Y02T50/678Y02E50/30G21C3/626Y02E30/10Y02E30/30
Inventor FARMER, JOSEPH C.SERRANO DE CARO, MAGDELANAMARIAN, JAIMEDEMANGE, PAUL P.ARSENLIS, ATHANASIOSSATCHER, JR., JOE H.LATKOWSKI, JEFFERY F.ABBOTT, RYAN P.DIAS DE LA RUBIA, TOMASMOSES, EDWARD I.
Owner UNKNOWN
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