b'With the closure of the Halden Reactor Project, INL is developing state of the art capabilities needed to refabricate and reinstrument previously irradiated materials.spacer also had a centerline hole Completed a pre-conceptual drilled through approximatelydesign of a vertically oriented .006 to .010 inches larger thancryogenic drilling system that is the drill bit. This accomplishedcompatible with HFEF existing three results. First, the spacer wasinfrastructure. Given the long-used to stabilize the defueled faceterm success the HRP had with from collapsing into the defueledcryogenically drilling centerline region during tool changeout andholes in fuel, INL contracted with drilling; second, it reduced theHRP to develop a pre-conceptual removal of excess fuel around thedesign of their cryogenic drilling drill bit during centerline drillingmodule. This design was adapted due to the tight hole; and third andto a vertical orientation to better fit Figure 5. Refabricationmost importantly, the centerlinewithin the physical constraints of process on fuel rodlethole in the spacer acted as a pilotHFEF. There are numerous reasons hole with a depth of the spacerwhy INL made the decision to thickness for the fuel centerlineexplore this cryogenic capability. hole drill bit. This ensured theFirst, although promising results hole was drilled centered in thehad been achieved via dry drilling fuel and kept the drill bit fromout-of-cell, there remained a gap wandering as it passed throughand associated risk in successfully cracks in the fuel. Followingdeploying dry drilling on actual centerline drilling the tubing wasirradiated materials in the hot cell. then pressed into the hole. ThisSecond, based on an evaluation in Figure 6. Refabricationprocess was done to aid in thethe previous year, it suggested that test sample results pressing of the spacer with thea cryogenic drilling system would hot cell manipulators. This thirdbe plausible, although expensive process created the most accuratedue to the design, fabrication, and hole with only a minimal gapinstallation of a new main cell around the molybdenum tubing infeedthrough. Third, based on the the surrogate rodlets. Minimizingpositive results utilizing an out-of-the gap around the molybdenumcell cryo-drilling module, it made tubing was important as it demon- sense to follow a similar pathway strated minimizing the amountto an in-cell capability. Fourth, the of surrogate fuel lost. Figure 6HRP cryogenic equipment was illustrates these 3 processes,designed to operate horizontally. which were each analyzedRelative to space allocation, it was by use of x-ray technology. determined that with the generous vertical space available in HFEF, 208 2023|AFC ACCOMPLISHMENTS'