US 11,837,371 B2
Method of manufacturing a nuclear fuel assembly
Sergey Mikhailovich Bashkirtsev, Moscow (RU); Valentin Fedorovich Kuznetsov, Moscow (RU); Valery Vladimirovich Kevrolev, Moscow (RU); Alexey Glebovich Morozov, Moscow (RU); and Michael H. Montgomery, Hamilton, VA (US)
Assigned to THORIUM POWER, INC., McLean, VA (US)
Filed by THORIUM POWER, INC., McLean, VA (US)
Filed on Apr. 22, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/237,683.
Application 17/237,683 is a division of application No. 15/900,071, filed on Feb. 20, 2018, granted, now 10,991,473.
Application 15/900,071 is a continuation of application No. 13/695,792, granted, now 10,037,823, previously published as PCT/US2011/036034, filed on May 11, 2011.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/333,467, filed on May 11, 2010.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/393,499, filed on Oct. 15, 2010.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/444,990, filed on Feb. 21, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2021/0398701 A1, Dec. 23, 2021
Prior Publication US 2023/0282379 A9, Sep. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. G21C 21/10 (2006.01); G21C 21/16 (2006.01); G21C 3/08 (2006.01); G21C 3/06 (2006.01); G21C 3/322 (2006.01); G21C 3/326 (2006.01); G21C 3/60 (2006.01); G21C 3/64 (2006.01); B22F 5/10 (2006.01); G21C 21/02 (2006.01)
CPC G21C 21/10 (2013.01) [G21C 3/08 (2013.01); G21C 21/16 (2013.01); B22F 5/10 (2013.01); G21C 3/06 (2013.01); G21C 3/322 (2013.01); G21C 3/326 (2013.01); G21C 3/3265 (2019.01); G21C 3/60 (2013.01); G21C 3/64 (2013.01); G21C 21/02 (2013.01); Y10T 29/49826 (2015.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of manufacturing a fuel assembly for use in a core of a nuclear power reactor, the method comprising:
manufacturing each of a plurality of elongated fuel elements by:
mixing fuel material with metal non-fuel material, wherein the fuel material comprises fissile material,
casting the mixed fuel material and metal non-fuel material to create a fuel core stock,
surrounding the fuel core stock with a cladding material,
co-extruding the fuel core stock and cladding material to create the fuel element, and
forming the fuel element with a spirally twisted, multi-lobed profile that defines a plurality of ribs, the multi-lobed profile comprising lobe tips and intersections between adjacent lobs, the cladding material being thicker at the tips than at the intersections; and
mounting the plurality of elongated fuel elements to a frame of the fuel assembly.