Disclosed embodiments include fuel assemblies, fuel element, cladding material, methods of making a fuel element, and methods of using same.

Disclosed embodiments include fuel ducts, fuel assemblies, methods of making fuel ducts, methods of making a fuel assembly, and methods of using a fuel assembly.

A spherical fuel element forming apparatus comprises a fuel area forming system, a fuel-free area shaping system and a green sphere pressing system connected sequentially. The fuel area forming system is used for evenly mixing a core sphere matrix powder with nuclear fuel particles and then pressing the mixed core sphere matrix powder and nuclear fuel particles into core spheres. The fuel-free area shaping system is used for preparing a spherical fuel element from the core spheres covered by a fuel-free matrix powder. The green sphere pressing system is used for pressing the spherical fuel elements into green spheres. The spherical fuel element forming apparatus is distributed according to a technical process flow line operation, and is compact in structure and convenient to operate. Sphere greens after being finally pressed are high in sphericity, fuel element cost is lowered, and the finished product rate is high.

Nuclear fuel assemblies include fuel elements that are sintered or cast into billets and co-extruded into a spiral, multi-lobed shape. The fuel kernel may be a metal alloy of metal fuel material and a metal-non-fuel material, or ceramic fuel in a metal non-fuel matrix. The fuel elements may use more highly enriched fissile material while maintaining safe operating temperatures. Such fuel elements according to one or more embodiments may provide more power at a safer, lower temperature than possible with conventional uranium oxide fuel rods. The fuel assembly may also include a plurality of conventional UO2 fuel rods, which may help the fuel assembly to conform to the space requirements of conventional nuclear reactors.

Nuclear fuel assemblies include fuel elements that are sintered or cast into billets and co-extruded into a spiral, multi-lobed shape. The fuel kernel may be a metal alloy of metal fuel material and a metal-non-fuel material, or ceramic fuel in a metal non-fuel matrix. The fuel elements may use more highly enriched fissile material while maintaining safe operating temperatures. Such fuel elements according to one or more embodiments may provide more power at a safer, lower temperature than possible with conventional uranium oxide fuel rods. The fuel assembly may also include a plurality of conventional UO2 fuel rods, which may help the fuel assembly to conform to the space requirements of conventional nuclear reactors.

A method for manufacturing a nuclear fuel element and a nuclear fuel element includes obtaining a core, the coating of the core with an anti-diffusion layer so as to obtain a coated core, the insertion of the coated core into a cladding with interposition, between the coated core and the cladding, of one or more intermediate layer(s), and the pressing of the multilayer assembly. Each intermediate layer is being made of a ductile metal alloy and/or having a conventional yield strength which differs by no more than 30% from that of the material of the cladding, an elongation at break which differs by no more than 30% from that of the material of the cladding and/or a distributed relative elongation which differs by no more than 30% from that of the material of the cladding.

A method for manufacturing a nuclear fuel element and a nuclear fuel element includes obtaining a core, the coating of the core with an anti-diffusion layer so as to obtain a coated core, the insertion of the coated core into a cladding with interposition, between the coated core and the cladding, of one or more intermediate layer(s), and the pressing of the multilayer assembly. Each intermediate layer is being made of a ductile metal alloy and/or having a conventional yield strength which differs by no more than 30% from that of the material of the cladding, an elongation at break which differs by no more than 30% from that of the material of the cladding and/or a distributed relative elongation which differs by no more than 30% from that of the material of the cladding.

A plate-shaped nuclear fuel element includes a core made of a fissile material and a cladding. The cladding further includes a frame defining a central aperture receiving the core and two cover plates sandwiching the frame and the core. The frame is made of a metallic first cladding material. The cover plates are made of a metallic second cladding material. The first cladding material has a hardness strictly greater than the hardness of the second cladding material.

A plate-shaped nuclear fuel element includes a core made of a fissile material and a cladding. The cladding further includes a frame defining a central aperture receiving the core and two cover plates sandwiching the frame and the core. The frame is made of a metallic first cladding material. The cover plates are made of a metallic second cladding material. The first cladding material has a hardness strictly greater than the hardness of the second cladding material.

Disclosed embodiments include fuel assemblies, fuel element, cladding material, methods of making a fuel element, and methods of using same.