From MIT press release ... MIT researchers are working on several innovations that could make existing (nuclear) plants more efficient and safer to run. These include a new fuel and a way to boost the cooling capability of ordinary water. New fuel In a three-year project completed recently for the U.S. Department of Energy, MIT researchers Hejzlar and Kazimi teamed up with Westinghouse and other companies to look at how to make a fuel for pressurized water reactors (PWR), 30 percent more efficient while maintaining or improving safety margins. Uranium fuel typically is formed into cylindrical ceramic pellets about a half-inch in diameter. The pellets look like a smooth, black version of food pellets for small animals. They changed the shape of the fuel from solid cylinders to hollow tubes. This added surface area that allows water to flow inside and outside the pellets, increasing heat transfer....
Source : The Energy Blog
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