Additively manufacturing SMR used fuel cladding – simulation of material radiation damage for leak testing

Due to chemical reactivity of components in new small modular reactor (SMR) fuel types, e.g., sodium, the federal nuclear regulator has identified spent SMR fuel as an R&D priority area. With multiple sodium fast reactors, including TerraPower’s Natrium reactor, and ARC Clean Technology Canada’s (ARC) ARC-100 reactor, planned for deployment in Canada within the next decade (ARC-100 to be deployed in New Brunswick by 2030), research surrounding the acceptance of spent nuclear fuel into a deep geological repository (DGR) is critical for the successful commercialization of SMRs in Canada.
In this project, additive manufacturing (3D printing) of the cladding alloy proposed for the ARC-100 reactor will allow controlled defect creation, simulating neutron bombardment during reactor operation. In the worst-case “what-if” scenario, where a DGR containing sodium-cooled fuel is flooded, water would interact with sodium that has diffused into the defects, making these necessary for accurate bench-scale experiments studying water-sodium interactions.

Faculty Supervisor:

Olga Palazhchenko

Student:

Partner:

ARC Clean Technology Canada

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of New Brunswick

Program: