Method of making a compartmented fuel element for a nuclear reactor

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR MAKING A FUEL ELEMENT OF A NEUTRONIC REACTOR, SAID METHOD INCLUDING THE STEPS OF INSERTING A COLUMN OF FUEL PELLETS AND SPACING DISKS HAVING DIAMETRIC EDGES CONTINUOUSLY COATED WITH BRAZING MATERIAL INTO A CONTINUOUS CLADDING TUBE, SAID SPACING DISKS BEING SPACED ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID COLUMN, STRETCHING WITHOUT COMPRESSING SAID CLADDING TUBE IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION SUFFICIENTLY TO ELONGATED THE TUBE ABOUT ONE PERCENT WHILE RESTRAINING MOVEMENT OF SAID FUEL PELLET COLUMN UNTIL THE WALLS OF SAID CLADDING TUBE VERY NEARLY ENGAGE SAID SPACING DISKS; THEN STRETCHING SAID CLADDING TUBE LONGITUDINALLY WITHOUT RESTRAINING SAID PELLET COLUMN, SUFFICIENTLY TO ELONGATE THE TUBE AN ADDITIONAL TWO PERCENT; THEN CLOSING THE ENDS OF THE CLADDING TUBE; THEN HEATING THE ASSEMBLY TO A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 1850*-1900*F. FOR A SUFFICIENT TIME TO SOFTEN THE BRAZING MATERIAL AND HERMETICALLY ATTACH THE DIAMETRIC EDGES OF THE SPACING DISKS TO THE INTERNAL WALLS OF THE TUBE.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR MAKING A FUEL ELEMENT OF A NEUTRONIC REACTOR, SAID METHOD INCLUDING THE STEPS OF INSERTING A COLUMN OF FUEL PELLETS AND SPACING DISKS HAVING DIAMETRIC EDGES CONTINUOUSLY COATED WITH BRAZING MATERIAL INTO A CONTINUOUS CLADDING TUBE, SAID SPACING DISKS BEING SPACED ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID COLUMN, STRETCHING WITHOUT COMPRESSING SAID CLADDING TUBE IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION SUFFICIENTLY TO ELONGATED THE TUBE ABOUT ONE PERCENT WHILE RESTRAINING MOVEMENT OF SAID FUEL PELLET COLUMN UNTIL THE WALLS OF SAID CLADDING TUBE VERY NEARLY ENGAGE SAID SPACING DISKS; THEN STRETCHING SAID CLADDING TUBE LONGITUDINALLY WITHOUT RESTRAINING SAID PELLET COLUMN, SUFFICIENTLY TO ELONGATE THE TUBE AN ADDITIONAL TWO PERCENT; THEN CLOSING THE ENDS OF THE CLADDING TUBE; THEN HEATING THE ASSEMBLY TO A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 1850*-1900*F. FOR A SUFFICIENT TIME TO SOFTEN THE BRAZING MATERIAL AND HERMETICALLY ATTACH THE DIAMETRIC EDGES OF THE SPACING DISKS TO THE INTERNAL WALLS OF THE TUBE.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF MAKING A FUEL ELEMENT FOR A NEUTRONIC REACTOR, SAID METHOD COMPRISING STEPS OF INSERTING A COLUMN OF FUEL PELLETS AND SPACING DISKS WITHIN AN ELONGATED CLADDING TUBE, SAID SPACING DISKS BEING SPACED ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID COLUMN AND BEING SLIDGHTLY LARGER THAN SAID FUEL PELLETS IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSELY OF SAID CLADDING TUBE, STRETCHING WITHOUT COMPRESSING SAID CLADDING TUBE LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF WHILE RESTRAINING SAID PELLET COLUMN UNTIL THE INNER WALL OF SAID CLADDING TUBE VERY NEARLY ENGAGES SAID SPACING DISKS, STRETCHING WITHOUT COMPRESSING SAID CLADDING TUBE WITHOUT RESTRAINING SAID COLUMN UNTIL SAID INNER WALL TIGHTLY ENNGAGES SAID SPACING DISKS, CONTINUING STRETCHING WITHOUT COMPRESSING OF SAID CLADDING TUBE UNTIL ITS INNER WALL SURFACE TIGHTLY ENGAGES EACH OF SAID FUEL PELLETS AND SEPARATES SAID FUEL PELLETS TO FORM SPACES THEREBETWEEN, SAID CLOSING THE ENDS OF SAID CLADDING TUBE.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF MAKING A FUEL ELEMENT FOR A NEUTRONIC REACTOR, SAID METHOD COMPRISING STEPS OF INSERTING A COLUMN OF FUEL PELLETS AND SPACING DISKS WITHIN AN ELONGATED CLADDING TUBE, SAID SPACING DISKS BEING SPACED ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID COLUMN AND BEING SLIDGHTLY LARGER THAN SAID FUEL PELLETS IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSELY OF SAID CLADDING TUBE, STRETCHING WITHOUT COMPRESSING SAID CLADDING TUBE LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF WHILE RESTRAINING SAID PELLET COLUMN UNTIL THE INNER WALL OF SAID CLADDING TUBE VERY NEARLY ENGAGES SAID SPACING DISKS, STRETCHING WITHOUT COMPRESSING SAID CLADDING TUBE WITHOUT RESTRAINING SAID COLUMN UNTIL SAID INNER WALL TIGHTLY ENNGAGES SAID SPACING DISKS, CONTINUING STRETCHING WITHOUT COMPRESSING OF SAID CLADDING TUBE UNTIL ITS INNER WALL SURFACE TIGHTLY ENGAGES EACH OF SAID FUEL PELLETS AND SEPARATES SAID FUEL PELLETS TO FORM SPACES THEREBETWEEN, SAID CLOSING THE ENDS OF SAID CLADDING TUBE.