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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.
Brett J. Menaker, Russell E. Allen, Harry E. Painter
Nuclear Technology | Volume 91 | Number 1 | July 1990 | Pages 75-80
Technical Paper | Safety of Next Generation Power Reactor / Nuclear Safety | doi.org/10.13182/NT90-A34442
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Containment cooling using natural convection and radiation is a key passive safety feature studied for a 600-MW(electric) advanced small pressurized water reactor. A free-standing cylindrical steel containment vessel is surrounded by a reinforced concrete shield building configured as a chimney. Various methods to enhance natural-convection cooling were evaluated. The evaluation and selection process considered effectiveness, constructibility and effect on schedule, cost, degree of passivity, inspection and maintenance requirements, operational problems, and simplicity. As a result of these evaluations, a combination of fins and convection from the dome in addition to the cylinder is selected.