The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has completed the first ever US transient testing on a high burn-up fuel sample that was previously irradiated in a commercial reactor. Results from the first-of-a-kind experiment will provide important data that could help boost the performance and lower the amount of waste generated at NPPs. Burn-up measures the amount of energy that is extracted from nuclear fuel.
The experimental fuel rod was one of 25 shipped to the INL last year as part of an agreement between the state of Idaho and the US government to help develop and license new fuel technologies.
Researchers performed the experiment at INL’s Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT), which exposed the fuel to short bursts of energy known as “transient pulses” to safely push the fuel beyond its limits in a controlled setting. TREAT can simulate accident conditions in a fraction of a second.
“Idaho National Laboratory has spent years developing some of the best experimental testing capabilities in the world,” said Colby Jensen, the INL technical lead for transient testing. “TREAT and our Hot Fuel Examination Facility are uniquely equipped to conduct this research to better understand high burn-up fuel limits in order to maximise their performance and energy production.”
INL will conduct seven additional safety tests on the used fuel shipment, with more in the early planning stages. The tests will include some experimental rods supported through the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) programme, which supports several major fuel suppliers in developing new fuel and cladding mixtures.
“This series of tests is a major step for our programme,” said Frank Goldner, the federal manager for the ATF programme. “The end goal is to facilitate the commercial deployment of advanced fuels into our nation’s light-water reactors to further enhance their safety and overall performance.”
Data collected from the experiments will support fuel qualification and licensing of the fuels, which could be commercialised before the end of the decade.
