Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A manufacturing method of mass producing nuclear fuel elements configured for use in a high-temperature gas cooled reactor core using additive manufacturing methods and robotic mechanisms to control, spatial placement and packing density of particles within a matrix of graphite, the method comprising:forming a graphite base portion of the fuel elements, the graphite base portion comprising uniform graphite powder layers;repeatedly performing a sequence of operations comprising depositing a layer of particles on a previous uniform graphite powder layer so that the particles are spaced apart in a predefined pattern, depositing a uniform graphite powder layer on the layer of particles, and applying a binder using additive manufacturing methods to bind each layer with successively increasing and then decreasing diameters to form a central portion of fuel elements, the central portion comprising a fuel-containing fuel zone; andrepeatedly performing a sequence of operations comprising depositing a uniform graphite powder layer on a previous layer and applying a binder using additive manufacturing methods to bind each layer with successively decreasing diameters to form a cap portion of the fuel elements,wherein the particles comprise one or more of nuclear fuel material, burnable poison material, or breeder material, andwherein the fuel elements include a fuel-free shell disposed around the fuel zone. 2. The manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein,the fuel elements are spherical fuel elements, andforming the graphite base portion comprises repeatedly performing a sequence of operations comprising depositing a uniform graphite powder layer on a previous layer and applying a binder using additive manufacturing methods to bind each layer with successively increasing diameters to form a base portion of the fuel elements. 3. The manufacturing method of claim 1, further comprising:compressing the formed fuel elements; andsintering the compressed fuel elements. 4. The manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the operations are performed sequentially in a manufacturing production line configured so that the fuel elements move along the production line to receive each successive operation. 5. The manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein all of the operations are performed on a plurality of fuel elements simultaneously, in order to mass produce fuel elements. 6. The manufacturing method of claim 1, further comprising:inspecting results of one or more of the operations for quality or adherence to a manufacturing tolerance; andadjusting parameters of the operations based on the inspections in order to maintain a quality standard of manufactured fuel elements. 7. The manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the particles comprise tri-structural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles that have an overcoat. 8. The manufacturing method of claim 2, wherein the particles comprise tri-structural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles that do not have an overcoat. 9. A manufacturing method of mass producing nuclear fuel elements configured for use in a high-temperature gas cooled reactor core, the method comprising:repeatedly performing a sequence of operations comprising depositing a uniform graphite powder layer on a previous layer and applying a binder using additive manufacturing methods to bind each layer with controlled exterior dimensions to form a base portion of the fuel elements;repeatedly performing a sequence of operations comprising depositing layer of nuclear fuel particles on a previous uniform graphite powder layer so that the particles are spaced apart in a predefined pattern, depositing a uniform graphite powder layer on the layer of nuclear fuel particles using a robotic mechanism, and applying a binder using additive manufacturing methods to bind each layer with controlled exterior dimensions to form a central portion of the fuel elements, the central portion comprising a fuel-containing fuel zone; andrepeatedly performing a sequence of operations comprising depositing a uniform graphite powder layer on a previous layer and applying a binder using additive manufacturing methods to bind each layer with controlled exterior dimensions to form a cap portion of fuel elements,wherein the exterior dimensions of the base portion, the fuel zone portion and the cap portion are controlled so as to form a fuel element of a controlled shape selected from the group consisting of spherical, ovoid, pill-shaped, prismatic, columnar, and, conical, andwherein the fuel elements include a fuel-free shell disposed around the fuel zone. 10. The manufacturing method of claim 9, wherein:the layers of nuclear fuel particles are disposed in parallel planes; andthe layers of nuclear fuel particles are each disposed in only one of the planes. 11. The manufacturing method of claim 10, wherein the nuclear fuel particles of at least two of the layers of nuclear fuel particles do not directly overlap in a vertical direction extending from the base portion to the cap portion. 12. The manufacturing method of claim 9, wherein the layers of nuclear fuel particles comprise different numbers of nuclear fuel particles. 13. The manufacturing method of claim 9, wherein a graphite powder layer is disposed directly between each of the layers of nuclear fuel particles. 14. The manufacturing method of claim 9, wherein the binder is applied using an inkjet printer. 15. The manufacturing method of claim 1, whereinthe layers of nuclear fuel particles are disposed in parallel planes; andthe layers of nuclear fuel particles are each disposed in only one of the planes. 16. The manufacturing method of claim 15, wherein the nuclear fuel particles of at least two of the layers of nuclear fuel particles do not directly overlap in a vertical direction extending from the base portion to the cap portion. 17. The manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the layers of nuclear fuel particles comprise different numbers of nuclear fuel particles. 18. The manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein a graphite powder layer is disposed directly between each of the layers of nuclear fuel particles. 19. The manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the binder is applied using an inkjet printer.