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LLNL, Ampera partner to develop thorium-based TRISO fuel
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has formed a strategic partnership with Ampera to develop the company’s nuclear fuel concept through a project named THUNDER, for Thorium Unimodal Droplet Ejection for Reactors.
The focus of THUNDER is fabricating TRISO made with kernels of thorium rather than the usual uranium. LLNL and Ampera will evaluate and optimize liquid metal–jetting technology to produce highly uniform, spherical kernels of thorium-232 for later processing into TRISO fuel.
Leon C. Walters, B. R. Seidel, J. Howard Kittel
Nuclear Technology | Volume 65 | Number 2 | May 1984 | Pages 179-231
Critical Review | doi.org/10.13182/NT84-A33408
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Renewed interest in metallic fuels for liquid-metal fast breeder reactors (LMFBRs) has arisen for several reasons: The excellent performance demonstrated by metallic fuel, particularly at Experimental Breeder Reactor II; the demonstrated transient capability; the inherent compatibility with the sodium coolant; and the potential for superior breeding gain are primary benefits. The performance of metallic fuels in LMFBRs is summarized, then the state of the art for the metallic fuel types that are regarded as principal candidates for LMFBR applications are assessed. After listing the key issues that exist for metallic fuels, recommendations are made for resolving those issues.