Abstract:
Tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel for high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) applications is an established technology. Particle fuel development activities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory date back to the early 1960s. However, further development and performance testing are necessary to commission the use of TRISO fuel in commercial applications more broadly. The US Department of Energy Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification (AGR) Program has undertaken an effort to support TRISO fuel qualification through a series of fuel development and irradiation activities. The AGR Program team are engaged in post-irradiation examination (PIE) and safety testing of compacts irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor at Idaho National Laboratory. Herein, we present a PIE approach utilizing facilities housed within the Irradiated Fuels Examination Laboratory at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Approaches such as high-temperature safety testing, deconsolidation and acid leaching of compacts, and analysis of individual particles with gamma spectroscopy, x-ray computed tomography, and microscopy are explored. A few results on PIE of AGR TRISO materials are discussed. Results and approaches presented further our understanding of how TRISO fuel performs under both normal and off-normal conditions, including evaluation of fission product migration and the manner in which failure mechanisms proceed.
 

Biography:

William Cureton, research scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), joined the Particle Fuel Forms group in March 2022 and is currently a Research and Development Staff member. Cureton's primary focus is on applying advanced characterization techniques to understand the performance of irradiated nuclear fuels. His work involves performance testing of both light water reactor fuel systems and tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) coated particle fuel for advanced nuclear reactor applications. Cureton’s main contributions are in support of the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Qualification and Development program, which aims to develop the capability to produce high quality TRISO fuel for advanced reactor concepts and demonstrate its performance through irradiation testing, post irradiation examination, and accident testing. Other areas of interest include applying x-ray and neutron scattering techniques at accelerator facilities (e.g, Spallation Neutron Source, Advanced Photon Source) to understand the mechanisms of irradiation performance on the atomic scale. Prior to joining ORNL, Cureton was a research assistant at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where he earned a doctor of philosophy in nuclear engineering in 2021.