CX-270130: Irradiation Testing of Accident Tolerant Fuels (ATF) in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) Water Loop

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has been tasked with the responsibility for conducting irradiation experiments in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) for the purpose of assessing the performance of Accident Tolerant Fuels (ATF) concepts under prototypic Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) operating conditions. INL will lead the planning, design, and analyses of these irradiation experiments in coordination with the various institutions that are engaged in developing the ATF concepts. The INL will perform these irradiation experiments in the ATR water loop 2A and will coordinate the post-irradiation examination (PIE) on the discharged fuels. The discharged fuels will be shipped from ATR to the Hot Fuels Examination Facility (HFEF) and/or the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility at the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) of the INL. Although the majority of the PIE is expected to be performed at HFEF and supporting laboratories at MFC, selected samples may be shipped to other hot cell facilities or laboratories for complementary or additional examinations, contingent on the availability of an acceptable shipping cask/container. After successful completion of the Sensor Qualification (SQ) test, a fueled test train will be inserted into the ATR water loop 2A using sensors qualified during the SQ test. The proposed action would use existing facilities and would not expand Department of Energy (DOE) infrastructure.