b'Figure 1. (a) X-ray Tomography of the cross section and (b) a photograph of the FCM fabricated fuel pellet with five centrally located fuel kernels.Accomplishments: a hot-press, with no degradation of This project successfully designed,the coated particles. This hot-pressing fabricated, and prepared fully ceramicmethod was successful despite the microencapsulated fuel for insertionunconventionally small sample size into the Miniature Fuel experimentused to fit the fuel capsule design. in HFIR at ORNL at the start of fiscalCalculations were led by Dr. Joseph R. year (FY) 20. This irradiation willBurns to predict the burnup, heating complement fuels studied in the firstrates, and thermal analysis. The ability MiniFuel irradiation from FY18. Theof Advanced Fuel Campaign (AFC) objective of this irradiation is to studyresearchers to fabricate miniature fuel the integrity and performance of thepellets in such a manner is integral FCM fuel architecture for light waterto more rapidly investigating and reactor conditions. The ORNL teamqualifying proposed fuel forms. successfully designed an optimizedPostirradiation examination (PIE) will silicon carbide overcoat to aid inproceed in FY20 and FY21, which will compaction of samples. Additionally,validate the performance predictions they designed a working procedure forand design integrity at low burnup. pellet pressing and compaction using 2019|AFC ACCOMPLISHMENTS 69'