About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Metallic Fuels - Design, Fabrication, and Characterization
|
| Presentation Title |
Component Assembly and Fuel Fabrication for the IMPACT Advanced Test Reactor Irradiation Experiment |
| Author(s) |
Calvin M. Downey, David Sanches, Austin Fleming, Boone Beausoleil |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Calvin M. Downey |
| Abstract Scope |
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is pioneering a leadout instrumented capsule experiment in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) to enable in-situ thermal conductivity probe measurements of advanced nuclear fuel. The IMPACT-01 experiment focuses on three metallic fuel designs using uranium-zirconium (U10Zr) alloys. These fuel specimens are fabricated with tailored enrichments into annular, slotted, and sodium-bonded geometries. Fuel fabrication involves down blending uranium and adding pure zirconium into a casting charge, followed by vacuum arc casting to create fuel pins of the approximate length and diameter. Heat treatment is used to relieve residual stresses and increase ductility. Electrical discharge machining (EDM) and traditional machining refine the fuel dimensions and features required to integrate thermal conductivity probes. Assembly of the experiment includes complex welding and brazing techniques to ensure hermetic sealing and structural integrity. The sodium-bonded specimen requires specialized assembly processes and components to prevent sodium ingress during bonding. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Shaping and Forming, Joining |