A URANIUM CARBIDE/RHENIUM THERMIONIC FUEL ELEMENT

Award Information

Agency: Department of Energy

Branch: N/A

Contract: N/A

Agency Tracking Number: 17578

Amount: $50,000.00

Phase: Phase I

Program: SBIR

Solicitation Topic Code: N/A

Solicitation Number: N/A

Timeline

Solicitation Year: N/A

Award Year: 1992

Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A

Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A

Small Business Information

Applied Sciences Inc.

Po Box 579

Cedarville, OH 45314

United States

DUNS: N/A

HUBZone Owned: No

Woman Owned: No

Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No

Principal Investigator

Phone: () -

Business Contact

Phone: () -

Research Institution

N/A

Abstract

A THERMIONIC FUEL ELEMENT (TFE) BASED ON ADVANCED URANIUM CARBIDE (UC) SOLID SOLUTION FUEL WITH RHENIUM EMITTER CLADDING SHOULD ALLOW MUCH BETTER PERFORMANCE THAN PRESENT DESIGNS. THE FUEL FORM WOULD BE A LONG, THIN, HOLLOW "VERMICELLI" SHAPE TO ALLOW VERY COMPACT REACTORS TO BE DESIGNED, DESPITE THE HIGH NEUTRON ABSORPTION CROSS SECTION OF RHENIUM. RHENIUM IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETELY COMPATIBLE WITH CARBIDE FUEL. IN PHASE I, A CARBIDE-FUELED TFE WILL BE DESIGNED, SUITABLE FOR SPACE NUCLEAR POWER SUPPLIES. DATA OBTAINED FROM RUSSIAN PROGRAMS, IN WHICH A UC:TAC (TANTALUM CARBIDE) ELEMENT WAS FABRICATED AND TESTED IN A REACTOR AT SVERDLOVSK, WILL BE USED IN THE DESIGN. BOTH MULTICRYSTAL RHENIUM AND SINGLE CRYSTAL TUNGSTEN WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE DESIGNS AS EMITTER OR CLADDING MATERIALS.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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A URANIUM CARBIDE/RHENIUM THERMIONIC FUEL ELEMENT