b'Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) Industry Team - FramatomePrincipal Investigator: Matthieu AumandTeam Members/Collaborators: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Kernkraftwerk Gsgen-Dniken. Constellation Energy, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Paul-Scherrer Institute (PSI), Electricit de France (EDF).Framatomes Accident Tolerant Fuelselection, Framatomes technical (ATF) strategy relies on a two-phasedapproach addresses three focus approach to balance benefits withareas: (i) Coatings for pressurized the anticipated timeline for full- water reactor (PWR) and boiling core deployment. PROtect Cr-Cr iswater reactor (BWR) claddings, (ii) Framatome evolutionary solutionChromia-doped and Chrome-variant which brings incremental benefitsUO 2fuel pellets, and (iii) Silicon compared to standard Zr-UO 2system.carbide (SiC) composite materials.The goal is to deploy this productA dense Cr-coating on a zirconium-in commercials reactors by mid- based cladding substrate has 2020s. PROtect SiC is Framatomesthe potential for improved high breakthrough solution which offerstemperature steam oxidation resis-significant benefits during beyondtance and high temperature creep design basis accidents. A progressiveperformance, as well as improved implementation is envisioned forwear behavior. Over the course SiC-based solution with an initialof the E-ATF program, extensive goal to demonstrate proof-of-conceptprocessing and testing activities in test reactors by the mid-2020s. are being carried out on Cr-coated In response to Department of EnergyM5Framatome cladding in support (DOE) direction, Framatome furtherof batch implementation by the expanded the Enhanced Accidentmid-2020s.Tolerant Fuel (E-ATF) program toChromia-doped UO 2pellets can include high burnup and increasedimprove pellet wash-out behavior enrichment with the objectiveafter cladding breach and reduce of increasing energy productionfission gas release. The performance and reducing the outage costs byof this fuel has been extensively minimizing the number of refuelingstudied in out-of-pile and in-pile outages. test programs. Chromia-doped fuel Project Description: topical report for PWR application is The goal of DOEs E-ATF programcurrently under Nuclear Regulatory is to develop an economical andCommission (NRC) review. Building more robust nuclear fuel design thaton both the experience gained will reduce or mitigate the conse- and scientific knowledge achieved quences of reactor accidents whilefrom the PWR Cr-coated cladding maintaining or improving existingdevelopment, a coating material that performance and reliability levelsis suitable for BWR application has in daily operations. After extensivebeen developed. Several out-of-piles testing, evaluation, and downtests were performed to ensure adher-136 2023|AFC ACCOMPLISHMENTS'