Framatome and Germany’s Technical University of Munich (TUM) have signed a cooperation agreement to establish an industrial manufacturing process for molybdenum-uranium (U-Mo) monolithic fuel for TUM’s Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) research reactor in Germany. This low-enriched fuel will benefit from the highest uranium fuel density ever realised in Europe for research reactor operations.
Framatome CERCA’s Research & Innovation Laboratory (CRIL), in cooperation with TUM, developed the key steps needed to manufacture a high-quality U-Mo fuel. These included the manufacture of small-scale prototypes, establishing a qualification procedure, and installing a pilot line at its research facility in Romans. The fuel will be key to the long term continued operation of the FRM II reactor used for understanding and interpreting the structure of matter and supplying neutrons to industry and the scientific community.
“We have been working on this project since 2019 and we are proud to celebrate this important milestone with our client,” said François Gauché, Vice-President of CERCA at Framatome. “Our teams rose to the challenge of developing a high-tech fuel to meet the needs of research reactors and ensure their sustainability. We are now ready to take this to the next level and manufacture this innovative fuel.”
The 20 MWt FRM II research reactor, which began operation in 2005, currently uses highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to generate a dense neutron flux for scientific experiments and the production of medical radioisotopes. Several years ago,
TUM engaged in a programme to explore the feasibility of a fuel based on low-enriched uranium (LEU) while maintaining the performance of the reactor. In 2019, TUM contracted Framatome to develop the U-Mo foils manufacturing technique to support the existing technology of embedded foils in a cladding of aluminium. The first fuel plates are already being manufactured using this,” said Dr Bruno Baumeister, project manager for the conversion from HEU to LEU at the FRM II.
FRM II Scientific Director Professor Dr Christian Pfleiderer said: "FRM II and Framatome have been working since 2019 to set up a European production line for monolithic U-Mo fuel. The hard work of our teams has paid off. This new fuel is the guarantee for a reliable and sustainable supply of neutrons for research and innovation."
The high uranium density of the innovative monolithic U-Mo fuel enables the FRM II to maintain its high-performance level even with a maximum enrichment of 19.75% uranium-235 (LEU). The first U-Mo foils made of LEU were successfully produced at CERCA in 2022. The first irradiation of monolithic U-Mo fuel plates from this production is planned for the end of 2024.
FRM II is a world leading research reactor and neutron source. It is optimised for neutron scattering experiments at beam tubes and neutron guides. It has irradiation facilities that produce homogenously doped silicon for the renewable energy transition, and radioisotopes needed for medical diagnostics and cancer treatments. Framatome CERCA’s CRIL, located in Romans-sur-Isère in France, which opened in 2019, is dedicated to developing uranium-based fuel for international research in physics and nuclear medicine.
Image (top): François Gauché and Prof. Christian Pfleiderer sign the agreement (courtesy of Dr. Christoph Kreileder, FRM II / TUM)
Image (bottom): TUM's FRM II research reactor (courtesy of Framatome)
