b'Accident Tolerant Fuels Phase IIGeneral ElectricDevelopment of LWR Fuels with Enhanced Accident TolerancePrincipal Investigator: Raul B. Rebak, GE Research, Schenectady, NY 12309, USATeam Members/ Collaborators: Russ Fawcett, Global Nuclear Fuels; Evan Dolley & Andrew K. Hoffman, GE Research; Andy Nelson & Jason Harp ORNL, David Kamerman, INL, and Kenneth McClellan, LANLconcepts (never used before in reactor GE is the only fuel vendor currently developing a monolithicenvironments) for fuel rod fabrication, thin walled tube of FeCrAl as cladding for the fuel. as well as their direct assessment in operating commercial nuclear power stations. Areas of development include (1) ARMOR and other coatings for Zircaloy, (2) IronClad cladding, (3) Higher 235U enriched fuel, (4) Extended fuel burn up, and (5) Modified fuel forms. This report covers accomplishments under contracts DE-NE0008823 and DE-NE0009047.Project Description:The objective of the GE led project is to develop a family of fuels that will make the current fleet of LWRs safer to operate. The average age of the LWRs in the USA and in the western world is increasing because no new reactors are being connected to the grid. There Figure 1. ATF fuel cycle involves theG eneral Electric (GE), includingis a consensus that the operation life of economical fabrication of the fuel,the current reactors fleet needs to be residence in the reactor (+unlikelyGE Research, GE Hitachiincreased. The introduction of the ATF accident scenarios), cooling poolNuclear Energy, and Globalfuels into the operating reactors will storage, dry cask storage, reprocessing,Nuclear Fuel (GNF), has a contractfacilitate this life extension, increasing and final geologic repository disposal with the US Department of Energysafety of operation, and reducing Office of Nuclear Energy to developoperation costs. That is, the newer Accident Tolerant Fuels (ATF) forfamily of ATF fuels will add benefits the current fleet of Light Watersuch as (a) Fuel cycle economics (i.e., Reactors (LWR). GE is workingincreased burnup), (b) Increased closely with the reactor-ownersfuel reliability, and (c) provide plant utilities Southern Nuclear andoperational flexibility. GE is working in Exelon Generation plus Oak RidgeATF fuel concepts that are for near term National Laboratory(ORNL), Idahoimplementation and for longer term National Laboratory(INL), and Losdevelopment (advanced concepts). The Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)fuel developments include cladding in this fuel development.Activitiescomponents, fuel components, and include basic research and testing tochannels for boiling water reactor characterize and evaluate advanced(BWR) applications. All of the new 90 2021|AFC ACCOMPLISHMENTS'