Post-irradiation testing of high-burnup fuel under way at ORNL

[NNadir]

From the annals of materials science:

Post-irradiation testing of high-burnup fuel under way at ORNL

Subtitle:

High burnup fuel rods manufactured by GE Vernova's Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF) are being examined at the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) after spending six years in a commercial nuclear power reactor.

Excerpts:

The rods, manufactured at GNF's fabrication facility in Wilmington, North Carolina, with support from the Department of Energy's Accident Tolerant Fuel programme, were shipped to the lab after completing three full cycles of operation at a US nuclear power plant. ORNL will conduct post-irradiation experiments over the next several years to verify safety and performance. Results from the experiments will be used to support the commercial deployment of such fuels.

Higher burnup fuel is designed to remain in the reactor core for longer periods of time before it is removed for long-term storage, leading to fewer refuelling outages, increased power output for better economics, and less used fuel over the lifetime of the reactor...

To me, the ultimate in high burn up fuels would be with CANDU type reactors, seeded with plutonium, depleted uranium, and thorium. These types of fuels would, upon recycling, reduce or eliminate the need for enrichment plants, have huge anti-proliferation value, and accelerate the availability of fissionable nuclei if we are to have any chance of addressing a serious attack on climate change.