atw - International Journal for Nuclear Power | 03.2024

42
Fuel
The substitution of metals as cladding material by the
ceramic SSiC eliminates the risk of hydrogen generation
in the case of a coolant accident as experienced in
Fukushima. In the case of compact spheres (chapter 7)
and spheres with cooling channels (chapter 8) the
TRISO particles can be substituted by uranium oxide
powder dispersed in a matrix of SiC thus reducing the
fuel costs and increasing the availability. The improved
heat transfer allows higher coolant temperatures for
better efficiency in generation of electricity, and it
facilitates hydrogen production at all. Each single fuel
element with laser engraved safeguards identification
code makes proliferation nearly impossible. Last not
least, the SSiC encapsulation of the fuel elements
represents a pre-conditioning for final deposition.
Author
Prof. (em). Dr. rer. nat. Juergen Knorr
Professor Emeritus Nuclear Engineering
TUD Dresden
juergen.knorr@tu-dresden.de
Professor Jürgen Knorr has been Professor of Nuclear
Technology at the Technical University of University
of Dresden (emeritus since 2006). He received his
doctorate in physics/nuclear technologies. From 1975
to 1992, Prof. Knorr was responsible for the planning,
construction and operation of the AKR training
reactor in Dresden. The cooperation with SiCeram
GmbH on the application of high-tech ceramics in
the nuclear sector began in 2003. From 1993 to 2000,
Prof. Knorr was President of the Kerntechnische
Gesellschaft e.V. and also a board member of the
European Nuclear Society.
Besides the a.m. advantages the new fuel elements with
ceramic SiC cladding enables new reactor concepts
such as the molten salt reactors, small modular reactors
(SMR), modified CANDU reactors and breeders/burners
for tritium or actinides, respectively.
Slowly, the nuclear community begins to use the
described developments for new reactor concepts.
Acknowledgements
The authors want to express thanks to
⁃ Helmut Aicher, Stefan Tröbs, ATP GmbH,
Teisendorf, Germany, for design of the moulds and
performing injection moulding of half shells and
hollow spheres
⁃ Dr. A. Reinicke, Prof. Dr. W. Lippmann,
TU Dresden, Germany, for performing the laser
bonding experiments
⁃ Prof. Dr. J. Bliedtner, MSC Toni Wille, Ernst­ Abbe-
Hochschule Jena, Germany, for 3D-Printing.
Dr. Albert Kerber
Managing director and co-owner SiCeram GmbH
albertkerber@t-online.de
Since 1998, Dr. Albert Kerber has been co-owner
and managing director of SiCeram GmbH in Jena,
specializing in high-performance ceramics. After
studying chemical engineering, he completed his
doctorate at the Technical University of Karlsruhe.
The collaboration with Prof. Knorr began in 2003
and focuses on the application of high-tech ceramic
materials in the nuclear sector, particularly for innovative
solutions in the field of nuclear waste disposal
and fuel elements.
Today, Dr. Kerber is head of QSIL GmbH at the Jena
site.
Literature
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[3] P. Demkowicz., Liu, B. & Hunn, J., 2019. Coated particle fuel: Historical
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[4] F.J. Clemens, T. Sebastian, A. Kerber “FDM/FFF, an alternative to CIM manufacturing
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