Analysis of Future Fuel/Cladding Systems for Light Water Reactor Use

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Accident Tolerant Fuels could potentially provide a step-change in nuclear energy safety and economics, by removing the need for safety systems and providing inherent safety. One potential route to this is by offsetting an increased cladding cost with a fuel material containing more uranium, reducing the required enrichment or extending fuel life. A number of potential high-density fuel materials have been proposed including U3Si2, UN and UB2 as well as modifications to UO2 to improve its thermal conductivity via the addition of a secondary phase. Likewise, a number of cladding options are under consideration, including coated zirconium, FeCrAl alloys and SiC-SiC ceramic composites. This work will explore the interactions between proposed materials under high temperatures, and within high-temperature high-pressure water conditions. It will attempt to identify systems of long-term interest, as well as those combinations which are incompatible. The project will be supported by Rolls-Royce as an industrial sponsor.