Unpurged fuel element

Claim 1

A NON-PURGED FUEL ELEMENT FOR A NUCLEAR REACTOR, WHICH FUEL ELEMENT COMPRISES A FUEL ELEMENT BODY SECTION MADE OF GRAPHITE AND HAVING A CAVITY FORMED THEREIN, THE ENTIRE INTERNAL WALL SURFACE OF SAID CAVITY HAVING BEEN TREATED TO PROVIDE THEREIN A LAYER OF MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SILICON CARBIDE AND ZIRCONIUM CARBIDE, SAID LAYER FORMING A CLOSED SHELL WITHIN SAID FUEL ELEMENT BODY SECTION HAVING EXCELLENT RESISTANCE TO THE PASSAGE OF FISSION PRODUCTS, OPENING MEANS IN SAID FUEL ELEMENT BODY SECTION LEADING TO SAID CAVITY WHICH PROVIDES THE ONLY ENTRY TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID SHELL, NUCLEAR FUEL MATERIAL DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CAVITY, FISSION PRODUCT TRAPPING MEANS IN CONNECTION WITH SAID FUEL ELEMENT BODY SECTION, SAID FISSION PRODUCT TRAPPING MEANS BEING IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WHICH THE INTERIOR OF SAID SHELL THROUGH SAID OPENING MEANS, AND VENT MEANS CONMUNICATION WITH THE EXTERIOR OF SAID FUEL ELEMENT WHEREBY INTERNAL PRESSURED CAUSED BY FISSION PRODUCT FORMATION WITHIN SAID SHELL IS RELIEVED BY VENTING FISSION PRODUCT THROUGH SAID TRAPPING MEANS INTO THE FLUID COOLANT STREAM FLOWING EXTERIOR OF THE FUEL ELEMENT.