SPHERICAL FUEL ELEMENT AND PRODUCTION THEREOF FOR GAS-COOLED HIGH TEMPERATURE PEBBLE BED NUCLEAR REACTORS

摘要

The invention relates to a novel design and production of fuel element pebbles which satisfy the requirements of high temperature pebble bed nuclear reactors of the next generation. The invention uses a shell of the fuel element pebbles that is devoid of fuel and consists of silicon carbide (SiC) and/or zircon carbide (ZrC), in addition to natural graphite and graphitized petroleum coke, said shell having an average nominal thickness of ≥ 1 mm.