What is needed to ensure the U.S. has what it takes to fuel advanced reactors?

摘要

We have started off on the right foot. Both the Department of Energy and industry are focusing on the right things to bring advanced fuels to a readiness level for application in the nuclear industry. Fuel development requires a multipronged and methodical approach. Four things have to be considered: manufacturability, testing, performance, and scalability. Getting through these gates is not a swift exercise, but we understand areas where we can shrink the time to get from concept to delivery. The DOE began laying the groundwork nearly 20 years ago for what became the Advanced Gas Reactor program. Over that time, industry and the DOE manufactured, tested, and evaluated the performance of tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coated fuel particles. That work saw success in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval of the topical report on this fuel form in early 2019.