NSUF 25-5241: Thermal Diffusivity Characterization of Irradiated Minor Actinide-Bearing Metal Fuel Pin G591 from the EBR-II X501 Experiment

Long-lived minor actinide (Am, Np) isotopes generated during nuclear reactor operation are potentially viable, unutilized fissile material for nuclear fuels, as demonstrated by the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) X501 experiment. However, additional fuel qualification efforts are necessary to verify the safety, efficiency, and economic viability of these fuels prior to their licensing and deployment. Still unknown are the thermophysical properties of minor actinide-bearing metal fuels, which have never been previously characterized. This proposed study will address this knowledge gap by characterizing the thermal diffusivity of the G591 minor actinide-bearing fuel pin deployed in the EBR-II X501 irradiation experiment. Thermal diffusivity will be measured with the Netzsch LFA 427 laser flash analyzer at temperatures between room temperature and 800 C in 100 C increments. The total facility usage time in the Irradiated Materials Characterization Laboratory is expected to be two weeks. This work is expected to inform a greater understanding of irradiated minor actinide-bearing fuel behavior, lead to the generation of a well-calibrated thermal diffusivity model with respect to thermal and irradiation conditions, and encourage future investigation of minor actinide-bearing fuel performance characteristics.

Informações Adicionais

Campo	Valor
Award Announced Date	2025-08-06T10:08:03.67
Awarded Institution	Oklo Inc.
Facility Tech Lead	Alina Montrose
Irradiation Facility
PI	Nicholas Fassino
PI Email	[email protected]
Project Type	RTE
RTE Number	None