FUEL & FUEL CYCLE | ADVANCED FUELS
Right: A conventional nuclear fuel assembly
well within the experience base of maritime fuel, giving high confidence that it will demonstrate robust performance through its end of life in water-cooled NPPs and SMRs.
In support of future qualification and licensing efforts, the Lightbridge team together with several research institutions have conducted numerous studies, including simulation studies in a variety of conditions in various types of water-cooled reactors, thermal-hydraulic and vibration experiments, proof-of-concept irradiation testing of extruded multi-lobed fuel rodlets in a research reactor, as well as preliminary demonstration of manufacturing processes. Additionally, two GAIN Voucher awards enabled Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to design an Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) capsule irradiation experiment for the fuel, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) performed casting demonstration work for manufacturing ingots of the fuel alloy using depleted uranium and zirconium alloy. Lightbridge is currently conducting fuel development activities at INL, where the scope of work includes refinement of fabrication processes, irradiation testing of fuel material coupons, and corresponding post irradiation examinations of the irradiated materials. These studies will validate, under nuclear quality assurance standards, fundamental material properties during irradiation and are aimed to inform subsequent testing on rodlets under various conditions in the ATR and the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT). Additionally, two ongoing studies, funded through the
US Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) – one led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and one led by Texas A&M University – are being conducted to investigate neutronic, thermal, and thermal hydraulic performance of the fuel in NuScale SMRs under normal and off-normal conditions, via simulation studies and laboratory experiments. These ongoing fuel development activities support the goal of licensing Lightbridge metallic fuel rods for use in existing NPPs and water-cooled SMRs.
36 | October 2023 |
www.neimagazine.com
Use in existing and future reactors Lightbridge Fuel can be used in both existing nuclear power plants and small modular reactors designed to use conventional nuclear fuel, with no major plant modifications. In both cases, this enables step-change improvements in safety, fuel performance, waste reduction, and proliferation resistance. This leads directly to improved power plant economics, since the plant can produce more energy over a longer period between refueling outages, and operational flexibility is enhanced. For example, using the fuel in a four-loop pressurized water reactor (PWR) can enable a 10% power uprate and a fuel-cycle extension from 18 to 24 months, without the need for significant plant modifications. In new-build reactors, including gigawatt-scale NPPs and
SMRs, the balance-of-plant equipment can be designed to make optimal use of the advanced fuel that can enable power uprates of up to 30% above levels achievable with conventional fuel. SMRs are designed to be faster to build, require a
smaller upfront capital investment than large reactors, and aim to achieve economies of series production. Use of the Lightbridge fuel in SMRs to increase power density while maintaining robust safety margins can also make them more economical and further enhance SMRs’ competitiveness with other energy sources. In a future where the global installed nuclear capacity
is dramatically increased to meet climate goals, it is likely that new installed capacity will consist of both gigawatt- scale NPPs and SMRs. Due to its ability to operate with high power density and its inherently robust design, the use of the Lightbridge fuel in future water-cooled NPPs and SMRs would require building fewer reactors to achieve the same installed capacity. Lightbridge Fuel constitutes a significant advancement
in water-cooled reactor fuel, offering improvements in safety, fuel performance, waste reduction, proliferation resistance, and power plant economics. It promises to set a new standard for nuclear fuel for water-cooled reactors. ■
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49
