b'Westinghouse EnCore fuel is a gamechanger for the nuclear industry because of significantly increased safety margins in severe accident scenarios, longer fuel cycles and/or large uprates, lower operating costs, and increased flexibility for fuel management.tions, resulting in economic benefitscoated cladding is being carried out for the utility. Most recent burst testby the UVa, UBr, UW, and the USC. data for Cr-coated Optimized ZIRLOThis work indicates that nitrogen cold showed reduced burst openingsprayed samples perform about the area during increasing temperaturesame as helium cold sprayed samples.burst tests, where bursting occurredA set of six GAs unfueled SiGA rods between 700C and 1150C (Figure 3). are in test within the Advanced Test Lower length scale modeling (ASM)Reactor (ATR), cycle 171A/B at INL. is being used to develop ADOPT andThe rodlets are planned to be removed UN fuel properties. U15N has a highernear the end of September 2023 after 235U content than UO 2because of itscompleting 120 days of irradiation. 35% higher U density and a higherIn parallel, GA-EMS has delivered six thermal conductivity that aids inSiGA rods with surrogate fuel (molyb-reducing or eliminating fuel frag- denum pellets) for irradiations in ATR mentation, relocation, and dispersal.cycles 173A/B. Equivalent SiGA rods This work is being conducted byare currently in autoclave testing at the USC, LANL, BU and KTH. UNWestinghouse to demonstrate auto-samples were generated by LANL forclave robustness of this configuration testing in the BR-2 reactor in 2024.through 120+ days.Work on the economic production ofOngoing irradiation test of fueled enriched 15N is being carried out bySiGA rods at INL and ORNL Air Liquide. Potential processes havewill be completed by GA with now been identified and are beingresults reported under the SiC tested. Successful tests were carriedCladding Development program out at the High Flux Isotope Reactor at(DE-NE0009235). Progress and results ORNL (Figure 4) on the in-rod sensorsof future autoclave testing, UHT being developed at Westinghouse.tests, and WALT (DNB and critical These in-rod sensors will enableheat flux) tests of SiGA rods will be real-time validation of the propertyreported through GA collaboration data predicted by use ASM and enablewith Westinghouse under the ATF significant time and cost savings inPhase 2C program.the licensing of new fuels.Experimental work on the behavior and mechanical properties of Cr 2023|AFC ACCOMPLISHMENTS 135'