Energy News  
CIVIL NUCLEAR
Global Nuclear Fuel Advanced Fuel Assemblies to be Evaluated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
by Staff Writers
Wilmington NC (SPX) Dec 07, 2020

stock image only

Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF) has announced that lead test assemblies of its Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) solutions have been delivered to the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for examination after commercial operation.

The unfueled IronClad lead test rods and fueled ARMOR lead test rods, the first to be installed in a commercial reactor, successfully completed a 24-month fuel cycle at the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant in Georgia and are the first commercially operated samples from the ATF program to undergo national laboratory evaluation.

The assemblies were developed as part of DOE's ATF program and manufactured at GNF's state-of-the-art facility in Wilmington, North Carolina. ORNL will perform tests and analyses on the post-commercially operated fuel rods to further characterize material properties.

Testing will include visual inspections, microscopy and measurements of the thickness, corrosion and other mechanical and material properties of the cladding. This data will be used to determine the performance benefits of the materials and support the licensing of new fuel technologies with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

"We are proud to continue our work with customers and partners to develop innovative fuel solutions to lead the industry into the future," said Jon Ball, Executive Vice President of Nuclear Products for GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. "The results of this testing are an important step in the commercialization of advanced fuel technologies."

"ORNL has had the privilege to be a part of this work since it started, and we are excited to lead this next step," said Andrew Nelson, head of ORNL's Fuel Development Section.

"We appreciate the support of DOE, particularly our local partners, in helping bring these assemblies to ORNL, and we look forward to leveraging innovative techniques in exploring and better understanding what these materials could mean for nuclear energy."

Data obtained from this analysis will guide future development of ATF technologies and provide information to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing review process. The industry is pursuing the licensing and full commercial deployment of ATF by the mid-2020s.

GNF's IronClad solution is designed to provide substantial oxidation resistance and superior material behavior over a range of conditions compared to prior solutions. The low oxidation rates of this material at higher temperatures further enhances safety limit margins.

GNF's ARMOR coated zirconium cladding provides enhanced protection of fuel rods against debris fretting. ARMOR also provides oxidation resistance and superior material behavior over a range of conditions making it an attractive technology to enhance safety limit margins and abrasion resistance.


Related Links
Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF)
Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


CIVIL NUCLEAR
Framatome, TVA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory to load first 3D-printed component in commercial reactor
Oak Ridge TN (SPX) Dec 03, 2020
Framatome recently collaborated with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to create a 3D-printed safety component that will be loaded in a U.S. commercial nuclear power plant. The stainless steel fuel assembly channel fasteners will be inserted in the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant during the spring 2021 refueling outage. The fuel assembly channel fasteners were printed at ORNL using additive-manufacturing techniques, also known as 3D printing, as part of the lab's T ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Biodiesel made from discarded cardboard boxes

Turning Straw Into Gold

Battered by virus and oil slump, biofuels fall out of favour

Catalyzing a zero-carbon world by harvesting energy from living cells

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Guiding the way to improved solar cell performance

Efficient and durable perovskite solar cell materials

Stanford scientists invent ultrafast way to manufacture perovskite solar modules

Solar power stations in space could be the answer to our energy needs

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Supersized wind turbines generate clean energy - and surprising physics

NREL advanced manufacturing research moves wind turbine blades toward recyclability

Policy, not tech, spurred Danish dominance in wind energy

California offshore winds show promise as power source

CIVIL NUCLEAR
UK insists can achieve 68 percent emissions cut by 2030

Nestle unveils multi-billion push to slash carbon footprint

Sweden's LKAB to invest up to $46bn in fossil-free iron

Australia signals shift away from climate credit 'cheating'

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Game changer in thermoelectric materials could unlock body-heat powered personal devices

Fikile Brushett is looking for new ways to store energy

New method sees fibers in 3D, uses it to estimate conductivity

China turns on nuclear-powered 'artificial sun'

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Thailand brings NASA air quality data down to Earth

International ship exhaust emissions shown to alter clouds' behaviour

France to punish 'eco-cide' with prison up to 10 years

Covid and pollution: intimately linked, compound threat

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Climate goals need 6% yearly fossil fuel cuts, UN says

Trust a rare asset for Iraqi banks

Technology fast-tracks hydrogen-fuelled future

Denmark to end North Sea oil and gas production by 2050

CIVIL NUCLEAR
ESA and Auroch Digital launch Mars Horizon game

UK-built rover landing on Martian surface moves one giant fall closer

Cyprus rocky testing ground for Mars

MOXIE could help future rockets launch off Mars









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.