b'experimental studies that informreactor fuels from 62 to 75 GWd/and support assessment of its mostMTU by 2026; advanced tools. AFC will also work3.Lead research and development closely with the Advanced Sensorson innovative fuel and cladding and Instruments (ASI) program totechnologies with applications develop and deploy new sensors andto future advanced reactors, instruments in experiments thatespecially metallic fuels for fast-will allow researchers to directlyspectrum reactors, including observe the evolution of materials inreactors that utilize both once-representative severe environments.through and recycle approaches This represents a massive leap beyondto the fuel cycle; the irradiate and observe model used historically to develop and qualify4.Continue the development and nuclear fuels (colloquially referred todemonstration of a multi-scale, as cook and look). science-based approach to fuel As an early adopter of these meth- development and testing, and odologies and tools, AFC is applyingcontribute to the establishment them to a variety of fuel develop- of a state-of-the-art R&D infra-ment and qualification initiativesstructure necessary to accelerate that crosscut the national nuclearthe development of new fuel research enterprise.Specifically,concepts; and AFC objectives in the coming five- 5.Collaborate with NEAMS and year horizon include:ASI on the execution of analyti-1.Support the industry-led devel- cal experiments that result in opment of Accident Tolerantmechanistic fuel behavior and Fuel (ATF) technologies withsubsequent development and improved reliability and per- validation of multi-scale, multi-formance under normal opera- physics. Ultimately leading to tions and enhanced tolerance toincreasingly predictive fuel design basis and severe accidentperformance models and codes. scenarios. This effort is expectedConsidering these critical missions, to culminate with implementa- the AFC program is clearly a foun-tion of batch reloads of one ordational component of the nuclear more near-term ATF concept(s)energy communitys response to in commercial reactor(s) in theincreasing clean energy demand. mid-2020s;Sincerely,2.Collaborate with industry and regulatory community to per-form the R&D necessary to sup-port extending the burnup of current commercial light water Dan Wachs 2022|AFC ACCOMPLISHMENTS 13'