Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) Conversion Progress

Conference · Thu Nov 01 04:00:00 EDT 2018

OSTI ID:1484453

Hartman, H.T. ^[1]; Coryell, B.D. ^[1]; Shelton-Davis, C.V. ^[1]; Luther, E.P. ^[2]; Connaway, H.M. ^[3]

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1. Idaho National Laboratory
2. LANL
3. ANL

The National Nuclear Security Administration Office of Material Management and Minimization (NNSA M3) is working towards converting the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) located at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) from its original high-enriched uranium (HEU) core to a low-enriched uranium (LEU) core. TREAT reactor operations were restarted in November of 2017 and data obtained from the initial testing will be used to validate the existing ANL reactor modeling. Fuel block development has progressed with the completion of 2 and 4 inch crack free surrogate fuel blocks. Alternative fabrication methods for the fuel blocks continue to be explored and are showing promising results. Additionally, cladding oxidation studies have been performed and analyzed to initiate the down selection of cladding material to be used for the TREAT LEU fuel elements. This paper describes the current status of the above mentioned activities, and discusses the anticipated path forward for the conversion program as it progresses toward a final fuel design and fuel fabrication process.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1484453
• Report Number(s): INL/CON-18-51919-Rev000
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
Cladding
Frabrication
Fuel Blocks
LEU
Modeling & Analysis
Oxidation
TREAT