US4587088A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Coating a nuclear fuel with a burnable poison
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Co LLC
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Filing: 1983-08-26
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Granted: 1986-05-06
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Expires: 2003-08-26
Abstract
Abstract A method for coating a nuclear fuel with a burnable poison and a burnable poison coated nuclear fuel made by the method. The nuclear fuel is surface cleaned, and then a burnable poison layer is sputtered thereon. A sputtering deposition rate is picked that preferably will heat the nuclear fuel surface between 200° C. and 600° C. For deposition rates that result in heating the nuclear fuel surface to less than 200° C., external heat is applied to heat the nuclear fuel surface between 200° C. and 600° C. To make the burnable poison layer less hygroscopic, an overcoat layer of a hydrophobic material is sputtered on the burnable poison layer.
Inventors
- 👤 Kenneth C. Radford
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 23:22
CPC Classifications
G; G21; G21C; G21C7/00; G21C7/02; G21C7/04; G21C7/06; G21C3/00; G21C3/02; G21C3/04; G21C3/16; G21C3/18; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E30/00; Y02E30/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for coating a nuclear fuel with a burnable poison, comprising: (a) cleaning at least a section of the surface of said nuclear fuel; (b) choosing a burnable poison sputtering deposition rate that will heat the surface of said nuclear fuel to a generally steady-state temperature less than about 200° C.; (c) sputtering, at said chosen deposition rate, a layer of said burnable poison on at least a portion of said cleaned section of said nuclear fuel; and (d) applying heat, during sputtering, to said nuclear fuel to maintain its surface temperature between about 200° C. and about 600° C.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for coating a nuclear fuel with a burnable poison, comprising: (a) cleaning at least a section of the surface of said nuclear fuel; (b) choosing a burnable poison sputtering deposition rate that will heat the surface of said nuclear fuel to a generally steady-state temperature less than about 200° C.; (c) sputtering, at said chosen deposition rate, a layer of said burnable poison on at least a portion of said cleaned section of said nuclear fuel; and (d) applying heat, during sputtering, to said nuclear fuel to maintain its surface temperature between about 200° C. and about 600° C.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said nuclear fuel comprises uranium dioxide pellets having a generally cylindrical shape, said burnable poison comprises zirconium diboride, said chosen deposition rate is generally 2.09×10 -3 mils per hour, and said applying heat maintains the surface temperature of said nuclear fuel at about 400° C.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
82 words
A method for coating a nuclear fuel with a burnable poison, comprising: (a) cleaning at least a section of the surface of said nuclear fuel; (b) choosing a burnable poison sputtering deposition rate that will heat the surface of said nuclear fuel to a generally steady-state temperature between about 200° C. and about 600° C.; and (c) sputtering, at said chosen deposition rate, a layer of said burnable poison on at least a portion of said cleaned section of said nuclear fuel.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
82 words
A method for coating a nuclear fuel with a burnable poison, comprising: (a) cleaning at least a section of the surface of said nuclear fuel; (b) choosing a burnable poison sputtering deposition rate that will heat the surface of said nuclear fuel to a generally steady-state temperature between about 200° C. and about 600° C.; and (c) sputtering, at said chosen deposition rate, a layer of said burnable poison on at least a portion of said cleaned section of said nuclear fuel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 3 also including: (d) applying heat, during sputtering, to said nuclear fuel to generally maintain its surface temperature at a preselected temperature between about 200° C. and about 600° C., when said chosen deposition rate alone will heat the surface of said nuclear fuel to a temperature less than said preselected temperature.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 3, wherein said nuclear fuel comprises uranium dioxide pellets having a generally cylindrical shape.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said sputtering sputters said burnable poison layer generally only on the circumference of said pellets.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 5, wherein said burnable poison comprises a boron-containing material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 7, wherein said boron-containing material comprises zirconium diboride.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 8, wherein said chosen deposition rate is generally 2.93×10 -1 mils per hour.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method of claim 8, also including: (d) selecting a zirconium sputtering deposition rate that will heat the surface of said nuclear fuel to a generally steady-state temperature between about 200° C. and about 600° C.; and (e) sputtering, at said selected deposition rate, a hydrophobic overcoat layer of zirconium on said burnable poison layer generally immediately after sputtering said burnable poison layer on said nuclear fuel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
A burnable poison coated nuclear fuel, comprising: (a) a uranium dioxide containing substrate; and (b) a boron containing burnable poison layer deposited on said substrate by sputtering at a deposition rate that will heat the surface of said substrate to a generally steady-state temperature between about 200° C. and about 600° C.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
52 words
A burnable poison coated nuclear fuel, comprising: (a) a uranium dioxide containing substrate; and (b) a boron containing burnable poison layer deposited on said substrate by sputtering at a deposition rate that will heat the surface of said substrate to a generally steady-state temperature between about 200° C. and about 600° C.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-05-05 | 1989-11-04 | 1990-05-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-05-05 | 1993-11-04 | 1994-05-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-05-05 | 1997-11-04 | 1998-05-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |