A method is described herein that produces UN from UF.sub.6 in at most two steps comprising UF.sub.6.fwdarw.intermediate.fwdarw.UN. The principle of the reaction is that in a first step, UF.sub.6 would be reduced to U.sub.xN.sub.y, where x may be an integer selected from 1 and 3, and y is an integer selected from 1 and 2. Reduction occurs at or near the surface of a gaseous membrane electrode where it is also in contact with a nitrogen bearing salt. In a second step, U.sub.xN.sub.y decomposes to UN and N.sub.2 gas, either in the same reactor as the first step or after removal to a separate unit for further processing.

A method is described herein that produces UN from UF.sub.6 in at most two steps comprising UF.sub.6.fwdarw.intermediate.fwdarw.UN. The principle of the reaction is that in a first step, UF.sub.6 would be reduced to U.sub.xN.sub.y, where x may be an integer selected from 1 and 3, and y is an integer selected from 1 and 2. Reduction occurs at or near the surface of a gaseous membrane electrode where it is also in contact with a nitrogen bearing salt. In a second step, U.sub.xN.sub.y decomposes to UN and N.sub.2 gas, either in the same reactor as the first step or after removal to a separate unit for further processing.

A nuclear fuel element is provided. The nuclear fuel element includes a porous support. The porous support includes a ligament and defines a pore adjacent to the ligament. The ligament has an interior surface spaced from the pore. The interior surface defines a void. The porous support includes silicon carbide. The nuclear fuel element includes a nuclear fuel material disposed in the pore. The nuclear fuel material includes a moderator and tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) particles. Another nuclear fuel element is provided. The nuclear fuel element includes a porous support. The porous support includes a ligament and defines a pore adjacent to the ligament. The ligament has an interior surface spaced from the pore. The interior surface defines a void. The ligament includes the nuclear fuel material. The nuclear fuel element includes a facesheet overlying the porous support and defines a hole. The hole is in fluid communication with the void. The nuclear fuel material includes a nuclear fuel.

Proposed is an internal electrode insertion device for transferring the internal electrode to a welding position in order to weld a skeleton of a nuclear fuel assembly, the device including: a table; a plurality of internal electrode bars disposed in parallel in a plurality of rows on a top portion of the table; guide members provided on the table and configured to guide a horizontal movement of the internal electrode bars; guide rails provided in parallel with an alignment direction of the internal electrode bars on the top portion of the table; a driving unit provided with a servomotor thereon, thereby performing horizontal movement driving along the guide rails; and a control unit for controlling driving of the servomotor based on a preset position of each of the internal electrodes.

A method for making a fuel rod cladding tube and a cladding tube are described. The method includes wrapping ceramic fibers, for example, SiC fibers in a SiC matrix, around a tube formed from a metal alloy, such as a zirconium alloy. The interstices of the SiC wrappings on the tube are at least partially filled with SiC nano-sized particles. The surface of the filled tube is exposed by atomic layer deposition, at temperatures ranging from 25° C. to 600° C., to at least one cycle of alternating, non-overlapping pulses of gaseous precursors containing carbon and silicon to form a SiC monolayer. The step of filling the interstices of the SiC wrappings on the tube with SiC nano-sized particles fills large voids in the SiC wrapping. The step of exposing the surface of the particle filled SiC windings to at least one cycle of gaseous pulses fills small voids in the SiC wrapping.

A method for making a fuel rod cladding tube and a cladding tube are described. The method includes wrapping ceramic fibers, for example, SiC fibers in a SiC matrix, around a tube formed from a metal alloy, such as a zirconium alloy. The interstices of the SiC wrappings on the tube are at least partially filled with SiC nano-sized particles. The surface of the filled tube is exposed by atomic layer deposition, at temperatures ranging from 25° C. to 600° C., to at least one cycle of alternating, non-overlapping pulses of gaseous precursors containing carbon and silicon to form a SiC monolayer. The step of filling the interstices of the SiC wrappings on the tube with SiC nano-sized particles fills large voids in the SiC wrapping. The step of exposing the surface of the particle filled SiC windings to at least one cycle of gaseous pulses fills small voids in the SiC wrapping.

A device for transferring a given powder or a mixture of given powders contained in a container including a side wall and at least one discharge opening, the container with axisymmetric shape having an axis of rotation being arranged in the transfer device such that the discharge opening thereof is located in a lower portion of the container, the transfer device including rotating the container about the axis thereof, on which the discharge opening is located and control for controlling the rotation such that the rotation impose on at least one portion of the side wall of the container, referred to as movable portion, a first moving phase wherein an acceleration no lower than a minimum acceleration is capable of causing the powder to slide relative to the movable portion.

A device for transferring a given powder or a mixture of given powders contained in a container including a side wall and at least one discharge opening, the container with axisymmetric shape having an axis of rotation being arranged in the transfer device such that the discharge opening thereof is located in a lower portion of the container, the transfer device including rotating the container about the axis thereof, on which the discharge opening is located and control for controlling the rotation such that the rotation impose on at least one portion of the side wall of the container, referred to as movable portion, a first moving phase wherein an acceleration no lower than a minimum acceleration is capable of causing the powder to slide relative to the movable portion.

The invention relates to a multi-component cladding for a nuclear fuel rod that includes a combination of ceramic and metal components. More particularly, the invention is directed to a cladding that includes a ceramic composite having a zirconium composition deposited thereon to form a zirconium coated ceramic composite. The ceramic composite includes a ceramic matrix and a plurality of ceramic fibers. The cladding is effective to protect the contents of the cladding structure from exposure to high temperature environments during various load conditions of a nuclear reactor.

The invention relates to a multi-component cladding for a nuclear fuel rod that includes a combination of ceramic and metal components. More particularly, the invention is directed to a cladding that includes a ceramic composite having a zirconium composition deposited thereon to form a zirconium coated ceramic composite. The ceramic composite includes a ceramic matrix and a plurality of ceramic fibers. The cladding is effective to protect the contents of the cladding structure from exposure to high temperature environments during various load conditions of a nuclear reactor.