13-month trial an essential step towards powering next-generation reactors
US-based X-energy has begun irradiation testing of its Triso-X fuel pebbles at Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL) advanced test reactor, marking the first time this advanced fuel undergoes such testing in a US facility.
Over a 13-month trial, the experiments will evaluate fuel performance under different power levels, temperatures and burnup scenarios, which are essential for meeting US Nuclear Regulatory Commission standards for commercial use in advanced reactors, including X-energy's Xe-100 small modular reactor.
The DOE said the test campaign is part of X-energy’s larger efforts to establish the country’s first commercial advanced nuclear fuel fabrication facility to support the deployment of the Xe-100 and other commercial reactors.
Triso-X is a specialised version of Triso (TRi-structural ISOtropic) fuel, a new class of advanced nuclear fuel favoured by many advanced reactor developers.
The fuel will be fabricated into billiard ball-sized spheres called “pebbles” that were developed by X-energy to power high temperature gas-cooled reactors, such as the Xe-100.
Triso fuel particles are made up of a uranium, carbon and oxygen fuel kernel. The kernel is encapsulated by three layers of carbon- and ceramic-based materials that prevent the release of radioactive fission products.
Due to this novel structure, Triso fuels cannot melt in a commercial high-temperature reactor and can withstand extreme radiation and temperatures that are well beyond the threshold of current nuclear fuels.
The DOE said once testing is complete, post-irradiation examination will begin at INL and Oak Ridge National Laboratory as Triso-X “continues in its journey to qualify for commercial use”.
X-energy's TX-1 fuel fabrication facility is under construction in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and could be the first advanced nuclear fuel fabrication facility licensed by the NRC in more than 50 years.
The facility will support the commercial deployment of the Xe-100 which is one of two advanced reactor demonstration projects supported through DOE’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.
Framatome Announces Triso Plans In France
French nuclear company Framatome announced plans to produce Triso nuclear fuel at its fuel fabrication site in Romans-sur-Isère, southeastern France.
The company said the launch of new industrialisation and development capabilities for Triso fuel at Romans-sur-Isère complements its activities in the US and marks a significant expansion of the company’s resources in France, with the installation of a pilot line dedicated to manufacturing various types of Triso fuel for advanced reactor projects, including high-temperature reactors.
The facility will enable the specification and qualification of Triso fuel, a well as the associated manufacturing and quality control processes. The project is designed to pave the way for future industrialisation of Triso fuel in France.
