Fuel rod designs and techniques are provided to encapsulate nuclear fuel pellets in nuclear fuel rods. The tubular cladding in the disclosed fuel rods includes silicon carbide and a metal filler structure formed of a metal that becomes molten during a nuclear reaction of the nuclear fuel pellets and located inside the tubular cladding to include a metal tube that fills in a gap between the nuclear fuel pellets and an interior side wall of the tubular cladding and structured to include a closed metal end cap at one end of the nuclear fuel pellets to leave a space between one end of the interior of the tubular cladding and the closed metal end cap of the metal filler structure as a reservoir.

Fuel rod designs and techniques are provided to encapsulate nuclear fuel pellets in nuclear fuel rods. The tubular cladding in the disclosed fuel rods includes silicon carbide and a metal filler structure formed of a metal that becomes molten during a nuclear reaction of the nuclear fuel pellets and located inside the tubular cladding to include a metal tube that fills in a gap between the nuclear fuel pellets and an interior side wall of the tubular cladding and structured to include a closed metal end cap at one end of the nuclear fuel pellets to leave a space between one end of the interior of the tubular cladding and the closed metal end cap of the metal filler structure as a reservoir.

Disclosed is a system for sensing a UF.sub.6 gas leak in a nuclear fuel manufacturing process. The system is configured to sense whether or not there is a UF.sub.6 gas leak by optically detecting UO.sub.2F.sub.2 in a solid state generated due to a reaction with outside air. This allows prevention of damage to a detection apparatus by means of sensing in a non-contact manner whether or not there is a UF.sub.6 gas leak. Further, the system extends the mechanical life of and reduces the maintenance and repair costs for the detection apparatus.

Disclosed is a system for sensing a UF.sub.6 gas leak in a nuclear fuel manufacturing process. The system is configured to sense whether or not there is a UF.sub.6 gas leak by optically detecting UO.sub.2F.sub.2 in a solid state generated due to a reaction with outside air. This allows prevention of damage to a detection apparatus by means of sensing in a non-contact manner whether or not there is a UF.sub.6 gas leak. Further, the system extends the mechanical life of and reduces the maintenance and repair costs for the detection apparatus.

This application relates to manufacturing of vacuum chambers of nuclear fusion reactors, and more particularly to a method, device and apparatus for machining grooves of poloidal segments of a vacuum chamber of a nuclear fusion reactor, and a computer-readable storage medium. The method includes: collecting three-dimensional (3D) point cloud data of surfaces of individual poloidal segments of the vacuum chamber; performing reverse model reconstruction, based on the three-dimensional point cloud data, to generate an actual 3D model to acquire a sectional view of the vacuum chamber; extracting a cross-reconstruction region between two adjacent poloidal segments; and calculating a target machining allowance of individual poloidal segments according to the cross-reconstruction region and a preset segment boundary to generate a machining strategy for the groove of individual poloidal segments.

This application relates to manufacturing of vacuum chambers of nuclear fusion reactors, and more particularly to a method, device and apparatus for machining grooves of poloidal segments of a vacuum chamber of a nuclear fusion reactor, and a computer-readable storage medium. The method includes: collecting three-dimensional (3D) point cloud data of surfaces of individual poloidal segments of the vacuum chamber; performing reverse model reconstruction, based on the three-dimensional point cloud data, to generate an actual 3D model to acquire a sectional view of the vacuum chamber; extracting a cross-reconstruction region between two adjacent poloidal segments; and calculating a target machining allowance of individual poloidal segments according to the cross-reconstruction region and a preset segment boundary to generate a machining strategy for the groove of individual poloidal segments.

A feedwater sparger repair assembly includes a cover plate having a partial cylindrical shape and having a nozzle opening and a pair of bolt openings extending through the cover plate. A nozzle is attached to the cover plate and surrounds the nozzle opening. A pair of T-bolts extend through a respective one of the pair of bolt openings and each include a shank having a threaded portion extending from an exterior side of the cover plate and a partial cylindrical head portion disposed at an end of the shank on an interior side of the cover plate. A pair of nuts are engaged with the threaded portion of the pair of T-bolts. The feedwater sparger repair assembly is adapted to be mounted to an opening that is cut into a core spray pipe in order to repair/replace a sparger that becomes cracked.

A material (e.g., an alloy) comprises molybdenum, rhenium, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of tellurium, iodine, selenium, chromium, nickel, copper, titanium, zirconium, tungsten, vanadium, and niobium. Methods of forming the material (e.g., the alloy) comprise mixing molybdenum powder, rhenium powder, and a powder comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of tellurium, iodine, selenium, chromium, nickel, copper, titanium, zirconium, tungsten, vanadium, and niobium. The mixed powders may be coalesced to form the material (e.g., the alloy).

A nuclear fuel assembly is constructed with fuel assembly components that are wire wrapped and positioned in hexagonal rings within a fuel assembly duct. The fuel assembly components positioned in an outermost ring of the fuel assembly are wire wrapped with a pitch that is shorter than fuel assembly components positioned at an interior ring of the fuel assembly. The shorter pitch at the outer ring of the fuel assembly increases pressure drop of a coolant fluid at the edge and corner subchannels and thereby reduces the temperature gradient across the fuel assembly, which provides a higher output temperature of the nuclear reactor without substantially increasing peak temperature of the fuel cladding.

A nuclear reactor is constructed in sub-modules and super modules which are manufactured, packaged, and shipped to a construction site. At least some of the modules are packaged in suitable shielding containers or portions of containers, which may be steel. The modules are assembled on-site, and some of the modules remain within their respective shipping containers after assembly. One or more of the shipping containers may be used as concrete forms to support the pouring of concrete in between selected modules. The concrete may be used for structural support, shielding, or both.