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LLNL, Ampera partner to develop thorium-based TRISO fuel
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has formed a strategic partnership with Ampera to develop the company’s nuclear fuel concept through a project named THUNDER, for Thorium Unimodal Droplet Ejection for Reactors.
The focus of THUNDER is fabricating TRISO made with kernels of thorium rather than the usual uranium. LLNL and Ampera will evaluate and optimize liquid metal–jetting technology to produce highly uniform, spherical kernels of thorium-232 for later processing into TRISO fuel.
Emile Vanden Bemden
Nuclear Technology | Volume 53 | Number 2 | May 1981 | Pages 186-195
Technical Paper | Realistic Estimates of the Consequences of Nuclear Accident / Nuclear Fuel | doi.org/10.13182/NT81-A32623
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This paper briefly describes the present situation in the field of plutonium fuel production and explains concepts used by Belgonucleaire to develop technology and production processes for application by the mid-1980s. Of particular interest is the COGEPEL process developed by the company. It consists of pelletizing gelified mixed-oxide microspheres. The microspheres are sufficiently large and strong to virtually eliminate dust formation. In fuels produced by conventional processes, the formation of large quantities of gamma-emitting dust presents a serious contamination problem. The introduction of the new process should improve the overall safety of the plutonium industry.