BeO Utilization in Reactors for the Improvement of Extreme Reactor Environments - A Review

Kai Li,Xiaojing Li,Wenzhong Zhou,Yu Ma,Libo Qian

doi:10.3389/fenrg.2021.669832

Kai Li, Xiaojing Li + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2021.669832

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Abstract

Ceramic material is one of the essential materials used in reactors. Beryllium oxide ceramics have good high-temperature radiation stability, high density, high strength, and thermal conductivity at high temperatures, and the price of beryllium oxide is relatively moderate. This makes it more suitable for use as a reflector, moderator, and dispersion phase fuel matrix in a reactor. In recent years, beryllium oxide has attracted widespread attention due to its high hardness, high resistivity, high thermal conductivity, high melting point, and high radiation resistance. Because of its excellent mechanical properties, beryllium oxide materials also have a long history in the field of nuclear energy. Reactor extreme environments have become a significant challenge for optimizing reactor operation and safety performance. The utilization of beryllium oxide can significantly alleviate extreme reactor environments. According to research, the coupling of beryllium oxide material can effectively improve nuclear fuels' thermal conductivity, such as uranium dioxide. Beryllium oxide also has good radiation resistance and neutron scattering properties, which increases its applications in nuclear energy. The article comprehensively reviews the BeO utilization approaches in reactors to improve extreme reactor environments for current reactor operation and future reactor design optimization.

Highlights

Since the beginning, the beryllium oxide (BeO) material has attracted attention because of its excellent performance, such as high thermal conductivity, high neutron reflection cross-section, low neutron capture cross-section (Manly, 1964)
This paper summarizes the BeO ceramics’ applications in nuclear reactors to improve extreme reactor environments in recent years
The results showed an increase in the thermal diffusivity and conductivity of the UO2 pellets with additions of BeO compared to the values obtained with UO2

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The beryllium oxide (BeO) material has attracted attention because of its excellent performance, such as high thermal conductivity, high neutron reflection cross-section, low neutron capture cross-section (Manly, 1964). The history of the application of BeO to nuclear reactors can be dated back to 1945 when Farrington Daniels conceptualized and led the pioneering studies on a high-temperature pebble-bed reactor, which was envisioned to have a BeO moderator/reflector, a helium coolant, and BeO-filled graphite spherical fuel elements (Manly, 1964). This was a novel idea, the first time that BeO was proposed to combine with a nuclear reactor.

A Brief Overview on UO2-BeO Fuel Development

Findings

CONCLUSION