An optical counter is used in a method and system for producing a nuclear fuel element having a known volume of homogeneously distributed nuclear material. The method includes feeding nuclear fuel particles along a channel having a conveyer configured to transmit the nuclear fuel particles to an exit; driving the conveyer until a target number of nuclear fuel particles exits the channel through the exit; and counting a number of nuclear fuel particles which pass through the exit of the channel with an optical counter. The conveyer is stopped after the target number of nuclear fuel particles exits the channel. The target number of nuclear fuel particles are fed into a mold for shaping the nuclear fuel element, and void space remaining in the mold is filled with a particulate matrix material so as to homogeneously distribute the target number of nuclear fuel particles within the particulate matrix material. The particulate matrix material is then converted into a solid matrix material.

An optical counter is used in a method and system for producing a nuclear fuel element having a known volume of homogeneously distributed nuclear material. The method includes feeding nuclear fuel particles along a channel having a conveyer configured to transmit the nuclear fuel particles to an exit; driving the conveyer until a target number of nuclear fuel particles exits the channel through the exit; and counting a number of nuclear fuel particles which pass through the exit of the channel with an optical counter. The conveyer is stopped after the target number of nuclear fuel particles exits the channel. The target number of nuclear fuel particles are fed into a mold for shaping the nuclear fuel element, and void space remaining in the mold is filled with a particulate matrix material so as to homogeneously distribute the target number of nuclear fuel particles within the particulate matrix material. The particulate matrix material is then converted into a solid matrix material.

Provided is a nuclear fuel pellet having excellent compression resistance and a reduced missing pellet surface, the pellet being a cylindrical shape and including, on each of a top surface and a bottom surface thereof: a dish configured as a spherical groove shape having a predetermined curved surface at a center; a land configured as a horizontal annular shape along a rim of the dish; and a chamfer configured as a shape in which a corner is chamfered at a predetermined angle along a rim of the land, wherein the chamfer includes: a primary chamfer adjacent to the rim of the land; and a secondary chamfer configured as a shape additionally chamfered along a rim of the primary chamfer.

Provided is a nuclear fuel pellet having excellent compression resistance and a reduced missing pellet surface, the pellet being a cylindrical shape and including, on each of a top surface and a bottom surface thereof: a dish configured as a spherical groove shape having a predetermined curved surface at a center; a land configured as a horizontal annular shape along a rim of the dish; and a chamfer configured as a shape in which a corner is chamfered at a predetermined angle along a rim of the land, wherein the chamfer includes: a primary chamfer adjacent to the rim of the land; and a secondary chamfer configured as a shape additionally chamfered along a rim of the primary chamfer.

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 UO.sub.2 fuel rods, which may help the fuel assembly to conform to the space requirements of conventional nuclear reactors.

Fission reactor has a cladding encasing a heat generating source including a fissionable nuclear fuel composition. The heat generating source is offset from the surface of the cladding and molten metal is located within the void space formed by the offset. As a liquid, the molten metal will flow and occupy any contiguous network of void space within the fuel cavity and provides thermal transfer contact between the heat generating source and the cladding. The cladding separates the heat generating source and the molten metal from the primary coolant volume.

The method includes assessing operational characteristics of the fuel assembly, the assessing including determining if the fuel assembly is to be placed in a controlled location in the reactor core, a controlled location being positioned adjacent to a control blade that is to be utilized, and configuring the sidewalls of the outer channel by making at least a first select sidewall of the outer channel a reinforced sidewall, the remaining sidewalls of the outer channel, other than the at least a first select sidewall, being non-reinforced sidewalls. The entirety of the reinforced sidewall as a whole is at least one of thicker and made from a material that is more resistant to radiation-induced deformation as compared to an entirety of the non-reinforced sidewalls.

The method includes assessing operational characteristics of the fuel assembly, the assessing including determining if the fuel assembly is to be placed in a controlled location in the reactor core, a controlled location being positioned adjacent to a control blade that is to be utilized, and configuring the sidewalls of the outer channel by making at least a first select sidewall of the outer channel a reinforced sidewall, the remaining sidewalls of the outer channel, other than the at least a first select sidewall, being non-reinforced sidewalls. The entirety of the reinforced sidewall as a whole is at least one of thicker and made from a material that is more resistant to radiation-induced deformation as compared to an entirety of the non-reinforced sidewalls.

A system is described that includes a sputter target and a magnetic element array including multiple sets of magnets arranged to have a Hall-Effect region that extends along a length of the sputter target. The elongated sputtering electrode material tube is interposed between the magnetic array and an object to be deposited with a sputtered material from the sputter target. During a direct current high-power impulse magnetron sputtering operation, the system performs a depositing on a surface of the object by generating and controlling an ion and neutral particle flux by: providing a vacuum apparatus containing a sputter target holder electrode; first generating a high-power pulsed plasma magnetron discharge with a high-current negative direct current (DC) pulse to the sputter a target holder electrode; and second generating a configurable positive voltage kick pulse to the sputter target holder electrode after terminating the negative DC pulse.

The invention relates to sealing a fuel rod composite cladding tube composed of silicon carbide regardless of the fuel rod cladding design architecture (e.g., monolithic, duplex with monolithic SiC on the inside and a composite made with SiC fibers and SiC matrix on the outside) preferably with sealed SiC end plug caps, additionally sealed with an interior braze and exterior SiC final coating, thus providing a double sealed end plug barrier effective at retaining gas tightness and providing mechanical strength for the sealed end joint while providing high chemical resistance.