A vacuum micro-electronics device that utilizes fissile material capable of using the existing neutron leakage from the fuel assemblies of a nuclear reactor to produce thermal energy to power the heater/cathode element of the vacuum micro-electronics device and a self-powered detector emitter to produce the voltage/current necessary to power the anode/plate terminal of the vacuum micro-electronics device.

The present disclosure provides a fuel rod and a fuel assembly, in which the fuel rod includes a first uranium pellet, a gadolinium pellet and a second uranium pellet, and the first uranium pellet, the gadolinium pellet and the second uranium pellet are each of a cylindrical shape, an end face of an end of the gadolinium pellet is connected to an end face of an end of the first uranium pellet, and an end face of an opposite end of the gadolinium pellet is connected to an end face of an end of the second uranium pellet, and the difference between an enrichment of the gadolinium pellet and an enrichment of the first uranium pellet is less than or equal to 0.5%, and the difference between an enrichment of the gadolinium pellet and an enrichment of the second uranium pellet is less than or equal to 0.5%.

The present disclosure provides a fuel rod and a fuel assembly, in which the fuel rod includes a first uranium pellet, a gadolinium pellet and a second uranium pellet, and the first uranium pellet, the gadolinium pellet and the second uranium pellet are each of a cylindrical shape, an end face of an end of the gadolinium pellet is connected to an end face of an end of the first uranium pellet, and an end face of an opposite end of the gadolinium pellet is connected to an end face of an end of the second uranium pellet, and the difference between an enrichment of the gadolinium pellet and an enrichment of the first uranium pellet is less than or equal to 0.5%, and the difference between an enrichment of the gadolinium pellet and an enrichment of the second uranium pellet is less than or equal to 0.5%.

A reactor cooling and power generation system according to the present disclosure may include a reactor vessel, a heat exchange section formed to receive heat generated from a core inside the reactor vessel through a fluid, and an electric power production section including a Sterling engine formed to produce electric energy using the energy of the fluid whose temperature has increased while receiving the heat of the reactor, wherein the system is formed to circulate the fluid that has received heat from the core in the heat exchange section through the electric power production section, and operate even during a normal operation and during an accident of the nuclear power plant to produce electric power.

Furthermore, the reactor cooling and power generation system according to the present disclosure may be continuously operated not only during a normal operation but also during an accident to perform reactor cooling, and produce emergency power, thereby improving the system reliability. In addition, the reactor cooling and power generation system according to the present disclosure may facilitate the application of a safety class or seismic design with a small scale facility, thereby improving the reliability due to the application of the safety class or seismic design.

A reactor cooling and power generation system according to the present disclosure may include a reactor vessel, a heat exchange section formed to receive heat generated from a core inside the reactor vessel through a fluid, and an electric power production section including a Sterling engine formed to produce electric energy using the energy of the fluid whose temperature has increased while receiving the heat of the reactor, wherein the system is formed to circulate the fluid that has received heat from the core in the heat exchange section through the electric power production section, and operate even during a normal operation and during an accident of the nuclear power plant to produce electric power.

Furthermore, the reactor cooling and power generation system according to the present disclosure may be continuously operated not only during a normal operation but also during an accident to perform reactor cooling, and produce emergency power, thereby improving the system reliability. In addition, the reactor cooling and power generation system according to the present disclosure may facilitate the application of a safety class or seismic design with a small scale facility, thereby improving the reliability due to the application of the safety class or seismic design.

A reactor cooling and power generation system according to the present invention includes a reactor vessel, a heat exchange section to receive heat generated from a core inside the reactor vessel through a fluid, and a power production section having a thermoelectric element configured to produce electric energy using energy of the fluid whose temperature has increased while receiving the heat of the reactor, wherein the system is configured to allow the fluid that has received the heat from the core to circulate through the power production section, and to operate even during an accident as well as during a normal operation of a nuclear power plant to produce electric power.

Also, the reactor cooling and power generation system according to the present invention may continuously operate during an accident as well as a normal operation so as to cool the reactor and produce emergency power, thereby improving system reliability. In addition, the reactor cooling and power generation system according to the present invention may facilitate application of safety class or seismic design with a small scale facility, thereby improving the reliability owing to the application of the safety class or seismic design.

A panel that uses the gamma radiation emitted by fission to produce electrical power. The panel includes layers of a metal with a relatively high atomic number (Z), that form an emitter, a high temperature electrical resistor, and an electrical conductor with a relatively low Z value, that forms a collector. The gamma radiation emitted during the fission process produces Compton and photoelectrical electrons in the layer of the Emitter located between the reactor Baffle and the fuel assemblies. The electrons that have sufficient energy to penetrate the resistor layer between the emitter layer and the collector layer will be stopped in the collector. This creates a substantial voltage difference between the emitter and the collector. This voltage difference may be used to produce significant electric power both during reactor operations and with the reactor shutdown to meaningfully augment the electricity produced by the turbine generators.

A panel that uses the gamma radiation emitted by fission to produce electrical power. The panel includes layers of a metal with a relatively high atomic number (Z), that form an emitter, a high temperature electrical resistor, and an electrical conductor with a relatively low Z value, that forms a collector. The gamma radiation emitted during the fission process produces Compton and photoelectrical electrons in the layer of the Emitter located between the reactor Baffle and the fuel assemblies. The electrons that have sufficient energy to penetrate the resistor layer between the emitter layer and the collector layer will be stopped in the collector. This creates a substantial voltage difference between the emitter and the collector. This voltage difference may be used to produce significant electric power both during reactor operations and with the reactor shutdown to meaningfully augment the electricity produced by the turbine generators.

A structured plasma cell includes a first electrode including a first plurality of micro-cavities and a first plasma disposed within one or more micro-cavities of the first plurality of micro-cavities. The structured plasma cell also includes a second electrode including a second plurality of micro-cavities and a second plasma disposed within one or more micro-cavities of the second plurality of micro-cavities. The structured plasma cell also includes an inter-electrode gap disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

A structured plasma cell includes a first electrode including a first plurality of micro-cavities and a first plasma disposed within one or more micro-cavities of the first plurality of micro-cavities. The structured plasma cell also includes a second electrode including a second plurality of micro-cavities and a second plasma disposed within one or more micro-cavities of the second plurality of micro-cavities. The structured plasma cell also includes an inter-electrode gap disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.