b'previous Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC) report. Second cycle visuals were collected in Spring 2022. The Cr-coated fuel rods are in good shape with no signs of coating delamination. The lustrous golden appearance of Cr-coated rods is not clearly visible due the crud layer, which covered all the fuel rods. Other inspections, such as fuel rod diameter measurements demonstrated the expected behavior.A limited number of Cr-coated fuel rods were installed in Arkansas Nuclear One (ANO) reactor in 2019. After one cycle, Cr-coated fuel rods showed lustrous-gold appearance indicating a signification reduction in corrosion kineties compared to uncoated cladding. The coating remained tightly adherent, and there was no sign of coating degra-dation. These observations are consistent with the findings of other irradiation campaigns.Framatome is scaling up its production capacity to manufacture industrial quantities of Cr-coated cladding. A more detailed design phase has beenFramatome has developed anFigure 4. PROtect SiC rodlets for innovative SiC-based design whichATR irradiationlaunched to flesh out the specificsaddresses several key issues of SiC/of the industrial pilot. Fabrication ofSiC composite cladding. A thin full-length cladding transportationenvironmental barrier coating system has been launched and thison the outer surface protects the mockup system will be tested atcladding against recession under the suppliers facility to validate itsnormal operating conditions and a functionality. Additionally, a scaledtubular liner inside the composite down version of the transportationhelps with the hermetic sealing. system is being attached to one ofFramatome manufactured SiC-based the prototype machines at Paimboeufrodlets which are ready for irradia-to test its functionality during thetion in MITR and ATR.deposition process.2022|AFC ACCOMPLISHMENTS 113'