NSUF Funded Projects
FY 2024 Nuclear Science User Facilities Awards
DOE has selected two DOE national laboratory, one industry, and four university-led projects that will take advantage of NSUF capabilities to investigate important nuclear fuel and material applications. All of these projects will be supported by more than $6.6 million in facility access costs and expertise for experimental neutron and ion irradiation testing, post-irradiation examination facilities, synchrotron beamline capabilities, and technical assistance for design and analysis of experiments through NSUF.
A complete list of NSUF projects with their associated abstracts is available below.
| Title | Institution | Estimated Funding* | Project Description | Abstract | Project Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEUP Project 17-12527: Additive manufacturing of thermal sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement | Boise State University | $500,000 | Researchers will develop and demonstrate an additive manufacturing approach to fabricate nonintrusive and spatially resolved sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement. The team will print thermal conductivity sensors onto fuel components using an aerosol jet printing approach, and study in-pile performance of the printed sensors through irradiation and post-irradiation testing. This research has the potential to establish a new sensor-manufacturing paradigm for the nuclear industry. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12573: Performance of SiC-SiC Cladding and Endplug Joints under Neutron Irradiation with a Thermal Gradient | General Atomics | $450,575 | Researchers will investigate the effects of temperature and thermal gradients on the irradiation performance and stability of joints in silicon carbide (SiC) cladding and endplug geometries. The project will fill a gap in understanding the performance SiC joint performance which will advance the development of accident tolerant fuels. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13004: Capacitive Discharge Resistance Welding of 14YWT for Cladding Applications | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $500,000 | Researchers will join cladding tubes of 14YWT alloy and a ferritic ODS alloy using capacitor-discharge resistance welding (CDRW), a rapid, solid-state welding (SSW) process with very low heat input. The CDRW process is especially well suited for cladding applications. The project will provide a significant advance in the state of the knowledge for joining of 14YWT and ferritic ODS materials, and will permit their broader use with increased confidence. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13050: Correlation between Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Neutron-Irradiated Ferritic-Martensitic and Austenitic Steels | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $390,000 | Researchers will identify correlations between microstructures and mechanical properties of neutron-irradiated advanced ferritic-martensitic and austenitic steels through comprehensive experimental post-irradiation examinations, coupled with thermodynamics, kinetics and microstructural hardening modeling of selected samples that are relevant to Light Water Reactors. Results from other ongoing studies and literature data of similar alloys will be collected and compared to complement the correlations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13073: Radiation Effects on Optical Fiber Sensor Fused Smart Alloy Parts with Graded Alloy Composition Manufactured by Additive Manufacturing Processes | University of Pittsburgh | $500,000 | Researchers will establish the foundation for converging disciplines of multi-functional fiber optic sensors and additive manufacturing for smart part fabrications for nuclear energy applications, especially for in-pile applications. Using advanced laser fabrication techniques, the team will develop both high-temperature stable point sensors and distributed fiber sensors for high spatial resolution measurements in radiation-hardened silica and sapphire fibers. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13007: Irradiation of Advanced Neutron Absorbing Material to Support Accident Tolerant Fuel | AREVA | $- | To provide irradiation and post-irradiation examination program for four neutron absorber materials. The team will evaluate four pellets of each absorber type irradiated to target doses of 1.3 and 2.7 x 1022 n/cm2. Following neutron irradiation, examinations will focus on pellet integrity using optical microscopy and dimensional measurements to characterize irradiation induced swelling. This scope of work will utilize HFIR and hot cells at ORNL. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13088: Improved Understanding of Zircaloy-2 Hydrogen Pickup Mechanism in BWRs | Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. | $- | Researchers will study why Zircaloy-2 material shows high hydrogen pickup and variability in BWR environments by investigating the correlation between the irradiated Zircaloy-2 oxide layer resistivity and hydrogen pickup. The scope of work will include in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements on pre-irradiated channel and water rod samples as well as post-irradiation characterization of the same materials using Transmission Electron Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12976: Study of the Irradiation Behavior of Fast Reactor Mixed Oxide Annular Fuel with Modern Microstructural Characterization to Support Science Based Model Validation | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will grow the available database of post irradiation data available for annular mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel irradiated in fast spectrum reactors by examining irradiated fuel from the FO-2 irradiation. The data collected in this project would be used to validate models currently being developed at the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) for fuel performance models that seek to simulate MOX fuel behavior and will be implemented in BISON. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12849: Simulation of Radiation and Thermal Effects in Advanced Cladding Materials | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will develop atomic scale data on the phase stability and thermo-mechanical properties of FeCrAl accident tolerant cladding under the combined effects of radiation and elevated temperature. The goal is to ultimately provide materials parameters for the MARMOT code and develop predictive physics-based models for the BISON code. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12853: HPC Access to Advance Understanding of Fission Gas Behavior in Nuclear Fuel | University of Tennessee at Knoxville | $- | Researchers will develop high-performance simulation tools to predict fission gas bubble evolution in nuclear fuel. The scope of work in this project includes access to 10 Million CPU hours of high performance computing (HPC) resources each year for 2 years. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 18-14788: Irradiation Testing of Materials Produced by Additive Friction Stir Manufacturing | Aeroprobe | $408,549.00 | Researchers will perform irradiation and post-irradiation examination of materials produced by the MELD manufacturing process (FKA additive friction stir (AFS)) and analogous advanced manufacturing technologies. Compared with other additive manufacturing technique, MELD is much faster, generates a refined equiaxed structure, and does not require the post-manufacturing treatments needed for processes based on melting and solidification. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14749: Irradiation Behavior of Piezoelectric Materials for Nuclear Reactor Sensors | The Ohio State University | $500,000.00 | The objective of this project is to perform a focused investigation of the irradiation behavior of piezoelectric aluminum nitride, a material considered as a highly attractive candidate for ultrasonic sensors in nuclear applications. In previous irradiation tests it has been identified as highly irradiation tolerant. The experiment will be designed to allow measurement of irradiation effects while isolating effects caused by transducer design. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14730: High-performance Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials and Generators for In-pile Power Harvesting | University of Notre Dame | $500,000.00 | This project aims to develop radiation-resistant nanostructured bulk thermoelectric materials and devices for in-pile power harvesting and sensing. The thermoelectric power harvesting technology has crosscutting significance to expand nuclear reactor sensing, instrumentation and offer major cost savings and enhanced safety for all reactor designs & fuel cycle concepts. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 19-16380: High Fluence Active Irradiation and Combined Effects Testing of Sapphire Optical Fiber Distributed Temperature Sensors | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | This project will test and characterize distributed temperature measurements in sapphire optical fiber for high-temperature radiation environments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16297: Irradiation Studies on Electron Beam Welded PM-HIP Pressure Vessel Steel | Purdue University | $500,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the integrity of electron beam (EB) welded powder metallurgy with hot isostatic pressing pressure vessel steel under irradiation. This project will conduct neutron irradiations and post irradiation examination (PIE) on EB. The project will systematically study the effects of composition, heat treatment, and processing on irradiation response. PIE will include microstructure, mechanical, and fracture toughness testing. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16895: Irradiation of Optical Components of In-Situ Laser Spectroscopic Sensors for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Systems | University of Michigan | $500,000 | This project will investigate the effect of radiation damage in optical materials on the operation and performance of laser spectroscopic sensors. Significantly beyond the scope of prior studies, this project will seek to understand the effect of simultaneous radiation damage and annealing on optical materials operated in high-temperature environments, and further evaluate the effect of irradiation on nonlinear optical absorption. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17159: High Power Irradiation Testing of TRISO Fuel Particles with UCO and UO2 Kernels in Miniature Fuel Specimen Capsules in HFIR | Kairos Power LLC | $- | The proposed project is to conduct very high-power TRISO particle irradiations to demonstrate significant performance margin to current Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) tests, where the AGR program irradiations can be applied to near-term operation of a Kairos Power prototype fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR). The proposed test is exploratory in nature, designed to support a long-term advanced FHR design with very high particle powers. The irradiation test will be performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the High Flux Isotope Reactor using the existing miniature fuel specimen capsule. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17109: Integral Fuel Rod Real-Time Wireless Sensor & Transmitter Irradiation Test and Post Irradiation Examination | Westinghouse Electric Co. | $- | Researchers will continue the development of a remotely interrogated (magnetic coupling) in-core wireless sensor embedded within a fuel rod, which is capable of measuring critical parameters such as fuel pellet center line temperature, fuel pellet elongation, fuel rod pressure and neutron flux. The sensor will wirelessly transmit them through the fuel rod cladding and coolant without compromising the structural integrity of the fuel rod. This non-intrusive system would accelerate development of advanced fuel by providing real-time data. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16567: Irradiation-assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking of PWR-irradiated Type 347 Stainless Steel | Westinghouse Electric Company | $- | This project will use material from commercial pressurized water reactor baffle-former bolts (neutron irradiated Type 347 steel), available from previous failure investigations and industry research, to conduct irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking initiation tests under controlled experimental conditions. The research will assess the dependence of this cracking phenomena on radiation damage and reactor water chemistry (potassium hydroxide versus lithium hydroxide). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 20-19172: Irradiation of Sensors and Adhesive Couplants for Application in LWR Primary Loop Piping and Components | $497,881 | Researchers paln to attach ultrasonic transducers to substrates using various adhesive couplants that will be irradiated at elevated temperature to simulate LWR primary loop conditions at the PULSTAR reactor at North Carolina State University. Ultrasonic data will be taken in-situ. Subsequently, the sensors and couplant interfaces will be characterized using the LAMDA facility at ORNL. The results will be used to benefit a parallel EPRI project on online monitoring of cracks in LWR primary loop piping. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 | |
| NEUP Project 20-19128: Machine Learning on High-Throughput Databases of Irradiation Response and Corrosion Properties of Selected Compositionally Complex Alloys for Structural Nuclear Materials | University of Wisconsin-Madison | $500,000 | Researchers will integrate high-throughput synthesis, irradiation, and characterization with atomistic and mesoscale simulation and machine learning to develop understanding and predictive models for irradiation response and corrosion properties of selected alloys. The focus will be on structural Compositionally Complex Alloys (four or more elements in a single-phase solid solution) relevant for high temperature nuclear applications. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19178: Demonstration of Self Powered Neutron Detectors Performance and Reliability | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will demonstrate operation of domestically produced self-powered neutron detectors in the pressurized water loop at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor (MITR) as part of a developmental program to incorporate such sensors into ATR fuels and materials experiments. This ability to point measure flux in ATR experiments in real time will substantially contribute to fulfillment of DOE-NE program objectives. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19163: Synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a separate effect investigation approach | North Carolina State University | $- | Reserachers will investigate the synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a series of separate effect experiments which will look at the effect of irradiation on iron-based systems and nickel-based systems and how radiation damage affect corrosion processes to support Liquid Metal Cooled Reactors and Molten Salt Reactors. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19122: Effect of neutron irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline nickel | North Carolina State University | $- | Researchers will conduct post irradiation examination (PIE) of nanocrystalline and conventional grained nickel that has been irradiated in ATR for 1 and 2 dpa. The PIE involves mechanical and microstrutural characterization using microhardness, tensile, electron backscatter diffraction, optical, tranmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography techniques. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19821: X-ray diffraction tomography analysis of SiC composite tubes neutron-irradiated with a radial high heat flux | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will conduct x-ray diffraction computed tomography analysis at NSLS II at Brookhaven National Laboratory and provide critical data on lattice strain for the response of SiC tubes to neutron irradiation under a temperature gradient. This information will be used to validate and/or improve the thermo-mechanical modeling of SiC/SiC tubes for accident tolerant LWR fuel applications. This experimental result will be compared with simulated lattice strains. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19145: Improving Lifetime Prediction of Electrical Cables in Containment | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Cable degradation accelerates late in the cable's lifetime curve but this phenomena must be validated with experimental data. Researchers will use the Sandia Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF) to expose nuclear cable insulation samples in sealed containers to a series of gamma doses at a series of dose rates. Oxygen concentration of the sealed containers and dielectric properties of the polymer samples will be measured pre- and post-irradiation. Lifetime curves of the insulation will be determined at more extreme accelerated conditions. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 21-24335: Deployment and In-Pile Test of an Instrument for Real-Time Monitoring Thermal Conductivity Evolution of Nuclear Fuels | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | The objective of this proposed project is to deploy a recently developed fiber-optic-based instrument in the MIT Research Reactor to perform in-pile thermal conductivity measurements of fuels and materials. The design of this instrument is based on the photothermal radiometry. In this method, thermal conductivity is measured by locally heating the sample surface and measuring the transient temperature gradient by collecting infrared black-body radiation. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24020: Understanding irradiation behaviors of ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature sensor materials for advanced nuclear reactor systems | North Carolina State University | $500,000 | The project will focus on a systematic study of irradiation effects on emerging ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature and radiation-resistant sensor materials through a series of well-designed neutron irradiation and post-irradiation examination (PIE) experiments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24327: Effect of neutron irradiation on friction stir welded Ni-based ODS MA754 alloy | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $200,000 | Researchers will study the effect of neutron irradiation and friction stir welding (FSW) on Ni-based oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) MA754 to understand the general trend of microstructural evolution and resulting radiation-hardening, in order to develop appropriate processing-structure-property-dose correlations. Efforts will also be made to compare the neutron irradiation performance of ODS and FSW concepts on Ni-base and Fe-base alloys (MA754 vs. MA956). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| Mechanical response and chemical effects at the fuel-cladding interface of HT-9 and metallic fuel | Purdue University | $800,000 | The proposed research will perform advanced post-irradiation examination, including microstructural, thermal, and mechanical characterization, on an accelerated in-pile experiment (FAST - Fission Accelerated Steady-state Test) irradiated U-10Zr fuel rodlets clad in HT-9 with and without Zr liners. Experiments will be complemented with lanthanide diffusion modeling. Results from the experiments and computational studies will be integrated into MARMOT/BISON. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Gamma irradiation effects on the mechanical behavior of seismic protective devices | University at Buffalo | $800,000 | The goal of this project is to investigate the effect of gamma radiation on the mechanical behavior of the seismic protective devices. The project will involve irradiation of these isolators and dampers in the Foss gamma irradiator at INL and performing mechanical testing of the pre-irradiated and post-irradiated specimens in the single-bearing test machine at the University at Buffalo (UB). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Accelerated Irradiation and Evaluation of Ultrastrong and Elastic Glassy Carbon | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | The proposed project will conduct accelerated irradiation and post-irradiation evaluation of ultra-strong and elastic glassy carbon fabricated through our established advanced manufacturing process based on pressure and/or electrical field assisted sintering at moderate temperatures. The objective is to evaluate the irradiation tolerance of advanced glassy carbon fabricated through accelerated irradiation with high-energy carbon and copper ion beams and investigate irradiation-induced changes. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Integrated Effects of Irradiation and Flibe Salt on Fuel Pebble and Structural Graphites for Molten Salt Reactors | Kairos Power | $- | This project will investigate the irradiation response of the Flibe/fuel pebble carbon matrix and Flibe/structural graphite systems with a focus on salt infiltration and its effect on microstructure for molten salt reactor applications. The objectives are to quantify the irradiation-induced changes in Flibe infiltration behavior and quantify the influence of infiltration under irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Irradiation-Corrosion of Alumina-Forming Austenitic Stainless Steels in Static Lead | Purdue University | $0 | This project will investigate the performance of alumina-forming austenitic stainless steels in coupled extremes of neutron irradiation and static lead. The results of this work will inform the extent of liquid metal embrittlement of this leading candidate material for lead fast reactor designs. A novel irradiation-corrosion capsule for miniature tensile specimens will be utilized, and post-irradiation/corrosion examination will include structural, chemical, and mechanical characterizations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| UN multi-design irradiation campaign: a critical assessment of accelerated burnup and main correlations for mechanistic fuel performance modeling | University of Texas at San Antonio | $0 | The objective of this project is to produce a robust array of uranium mononitride (UN) irradiated samples to serve post irradiation examination (PIE) and demonstrate the significant performance margins and safety of UN. The proposing team, which is comprised of fuels experts from the academic, national laboratory, and industry sectors, aims to probe the impact of fabrication impurities and fuel density as a function of both temperature and burn-up. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| Nondestructive Evaluation of Fracture Properties in Irradiated Light Water Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels | Electric Power Institute, Inc. | $0 | The proposed research will utilize sets of utility owned irradiated RPV surveillance samples with variable fluence levels housed at the Westinghouse Churchill Site in Pittsburgh, PA. These sample sets, which have known fracture properties from prior destructive tests, will be utilized to determine if nonstandard nondestructive evaluation methods can be used to characterize fracture properties of reactor pressure vessel steels nondestructively. | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Advanced hydride moderator irradiations for microreactor and space nuclear reactor deployment | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $0 | With the recent signing of Space Policy Directive-6, a US policy goal for micro nuclear reactor and space reactor systems has been designing these systems to utilize low-enriched uranium (LEU) ( | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Radiation Effects of High Entropy Alloys | North Carolina State University | $1,100,000 | Project's objective is to gain a comprehensive understanding of neutron radiation damage at early stage and its impact on the mechanical deformation of high entropy alloys (HEAs) by employing a combination of mechanical testing, state-of-the-art microstructural characterization, and advanced modeling techniques. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Neutron/Proton Round Robin: What role does irradiation type play in enhancing ordering in Ni-Cr-based alloys? | Oregon State University | $1,000,000 | It has been shown that irradiation can enhance ordering in selected Ni-Cr based alloys via proton and neutron irradiation, however heavy ion irradiation to similar doses did not result in ordering. There is a trade-off between ballistic mixing and enhanced diffusion that may produce flux and cascade size dependent microstructures. This innovative project will be dedicated to uncovering the roles of irradiation-type (neutron and proton) in promoting long-range order in Ni-Cr based alloys. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Characterization of Irradiation-Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking in 316 Stainless Steel Baffle-Former Bolts Harvested from Commercial Pressurized Water Reactor | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $1,100,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the mechanisms for initiation and development of irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) in austenitic stainless steel internal components, baffle-former bolts, harvested from a commercial pressurized water reactor (PWR). Core internal components of PWRs are subjected to high radiation doses, temperatures and corrosive environments. Advance microstructural characterization techniques are used to explain this degradation process. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
*Actual project funding will be established during the award negotiation phase.
FY 2023 Nuclear Science User Facilities Awards
DOE has selected one DOE national laboratory and two university-led projects that will take advantage of NSUF capabilities to investigate important nuclear fuel and material applications. All three of these projects will be supported by more than $6.3 million in facility access costs and expertise for experimental neutron and ion irradiation testing, post-irradiation examination facilities, synchrotron beamline capabilities, and technical assistance for design and analysis of experiments through NSUF.
A complete list of NSUF projects with their associated abstracts is available below.
| Title | Institution | Estimated Funding* | Project Description | Abstract | Project Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEUP Project 17-12527: Additive manufacturing of thermal sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement | Boise State University | $500,000 | Researchers will develop and demonstrate an additive manufacturing approach to fabricate nonintrusive and spatially resolved sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement. The team will print thermal conductivity sensors onto fuel components using an aerosol jet printing approach, and study in-pile performance of the printed sensors through irradiation and post-irradiation testing. This research has the potential to establish a new sensor-manufacturing paradigm for the nuclear industry. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12573: Performance of SiC-SiC Cladding and Endplug Joints under Neutron Irradiation with a Thermal Gradient | General Atomics | $450,575 | Researchers will investigate the effects of temperature and thermal gradients on the irradiation performance and stability of joints in silicon carbide (SiC) cladding and endplug geometries. The project will fill a gap in understanding the performance SiC joint performance which will advance the development of accident tolerant fuels. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13004: Capacitive Discharge Resistance Welding of 14YWT for Cladding Applications | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $500,000 | Researchers will join cladding tubes of 14YWT alloy and a ferritic ODS alloy using capacitor-discharge resistance welding (CDRW), a rapid, solid-state welding (SSW) process with very low heat input. The CDRW process is especially well suited for cladding applications. The project will provide a significant advance in the state of the knowledge for joining of 14YWT and ferritic ODS materials, and will permit their broader use with increased confidence. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13050: Correlation between Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Neutron-Irradiated Ferritic-Martensitic and Austenitic Steels | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $390,000 | Researchers will identify correlations between microstructures and mechanical properties of neutron-irradiated advanced ferritic-martensitic and austenitic steels through comprehensive experimental post-irradiation examinations, coupled with thermodynamics, kinetics and microstructural hardening modeling of selected samples that are relevant to Light Water Reactors. Results from other ongoing studies and literature data of similar alloys will be collected and compared to complement the correlations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13073: Radiation Effects on Optical Fiber Sensor Fused Smart Alloy Parts with Graded Alloy Composition Manufactured by Additive Manufacturing Processes | University of Pittsburgh | $500,000 | Researchers will establish the foundation for converging disciplines of multi-functional fiber optic sensors and additive manufacturing for smart part fabrications for nuclear energy applications, especially for in-pile applications. Using advanced laser fabrication techniques, the team will develop both high-temperature stable point sensors and distributed fiber sensors for high spatial resolution measurements in radiation-hardened silica and sapphire fibers. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13007: Irradiation of Advanced Neutron Absorbing Material to Support Accident Tolerant Fuel | AREVA | $- | To provide irradiation and post-irradiation examination program for four neutron absorber materials. The team will evaluate four pellets of each absorber type irradiated to target doses of 1.3 and 2.7 x 1022 n/cm2. Following neutron irradiation, examinations will focus on pellet integrity using optical microscopy and dimensional measurements to characterize irradiation induced swelling. This scope of work will utilize HFIR and hot cells at ORNL. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13088: Improved Understanding of Zircaloy-2 Hydrogen Pickup Mechanism in BWRs | Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. | $- | Researchers will study why Zircaloy-2 material shows high hydrogen pickup and variability in BWR environments by investigating the correlation between the irradiated Zircaloy-2 oxide layer resistivity and hydrogen pickup. The scope of work will include in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements on pre-irradiated channel and water rod samples as well as post-irradiation characterization of the same materials using Transmission Electron Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12976: Study of the Irradiation Behavior of Fast Reactor Mixed Oxide Annular Fuel with Modern Microstructural Characterization to Support Science Based Model Validation | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will grow the available database of post irradiation data available for annular mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel irradiated in fast spectrum reactors by examining irradiated fuel from the FO-2 irradiation. The data collected in this project would be used to validate models currently being developed at the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) for fuel performance models that seek to simulate MOX fuel behavior and will be implemented in BISON. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12849: Simulation of Radiation and Thermal Effects in Advanced Cladding Materials | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will develop atomic scale data on the phase stability and thermo-mechanical properties of FeCrAl accident tolerant cladding under the combined effects of radiation and elevated temperature. The goal is to ultimately provide materials parameters for the MARMOT code and develop predictive physics-based models for the BISON code. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12853: HPC Access to Advance Understanding of Fission Gas Behavior in Nuclear Fuel | University of Tennessee at Knoxville | $- | Researchers will develop high-performance simulation tools to predict fission gas bubble evolution in nuclear fuel. The scope of work in this project includes access to 10 Million CPU hours of high performance computing (HPC) resources each year for 2 years. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 18-14788: Irradiation Testing of Materials Produced by Additive Friction Stir Manufacturing | Aeroprobe | $408,549.00 | Researchers will perform irradiation and post-irradiation examination of materials produced by the MELD manufacturing process (FKA additive friction stir (AFS)) and analogous advanced manufacturing technologies. Compared with other additive manufacturing technique, MELD is much faster, generates a refined equiaxed structure, and does not require the post-manufacturing treatments needed for processes based on melting and solidification. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14749: Irradiation Behavior of Piezoelectric Materials for Nuclear Reactor Sensors | The Ohio State University | $500,000.00 | The objective of this project is to perform a focused investigation of the irradiation behavior of piezoelectric aluminum nitride, a material considered as a highly attractive candidate for ultrasonic sensors in nuclear applications. In previous irradiation tests it has been identified as highly irradiation tolerant. The experiment will be designed to allow measurement of irradiation effects while isolating effects caused by transducer design. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14730: High-performance Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials and Generators for In-pile Power Harvesting | University of Notre Dame | $500,000.00 | This project aims to develop radiation-resistant nanostructured bulk thermoelectric materials and devices for in-pile power harvesting and sensing. The thermoelectric power harvesting technology has crosscutting significance to expand nuclear reactor sensing, instrumentation and offer major cost savings and enhanced safety for all reactor designs & fuel cycle concepts. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 19-16380: High Fluence Active Irradiation and Combined Effects Testing of Sapphire Optical Fiber Distributed Temperature Sensors | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | This project will test and characterize distributed temperature measurements in sapphire optical fiber for high-temperature radiation environments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16297: Irradiation Studies on Electron Beam Welded PM-HIP Pressure Vessel Steel | Purdue University | $500,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the integrity of electron beam (EB) welded powder metallurgy with hot isostatic pressing pressure vessel steel under irradiation. This project will conduct neutron irradiations and post irradiation examination (PIE) on EB. The project will systematically study the effects of composition, heat treatment, and processing on irradiation response. PIE will include microstructure, mechanical, and fracture toughness testing. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16895: Irradiation of Optical Components of In-Situ Laser Spectroscopic Sensors for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Systems | University of Michigan | $500,000 | This project will investigate the effect of radiation damage in optical materials on the operation and performance of laser spectroscopic sensors. Significantly beyond the scope of prior studies, this project will seek to understand the effect of simultaneous radiation damage and annealing on optical materials operated in high-temperature environments, and further evaluate the effect of irradiation on nonlinear optical absorption. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17159: High Power Irradiation Testing of TRISO Fuel Particles with UCO and UO2 Kernels in Miniature Fuel Specimen Capsules in HFIR | Kairos Power LLC | $- | The proposed project is to conduct very high-power TRISO particle irradiations to demonstrate significant performance margin to current Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) tests, where the AGR program irradiations can be applied to near-term operation of a Kairos Power prototype fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR). The proposed test is exploratory in nature, designed to support a long-term advanced FHR design with very high particle powers. The irradiation test will be performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the High Flux Isotope Reactor using the existing miniature fuel specimen capsule. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17109: Integral Fuel Rod Real-Time Wireless Sensor & Transmitter Irradiation Test and Post Irradiation Examination | Westinghouse Electric Co. | $- | Researchers will continue the development of a remotely interrogated (magnetic coupling) in-core wireless sensor embedded within a fuel rod, which is capable of measuring critical parameters such as fuel pellet center line temperature, fuel pellet elongation, fuel rod pressure and neutron flux. The sensor will wirelessly transmit them through the fuel rod cladding and coolant without compromising the structural integrity of the fuel rod. This non-intrusive system would accelerate development of advanced fuel by providing real-time data. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16567: Irradiation-assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking of PWR-irradiated Type 347 Stainless Steel | Westinghouse Electric Company | $- | This project will use material from commercial pressurized water reactor baffle-former bolts (neutron irradiated Type 347 steel), available from previous failure investigations and industry research, to conduct irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking initiation tests under controlled experimental conditions. The research will assess the dependence of this cracking phenomena on radiation damage and reactor water chemistry (potassium hydroxide versus lithium hydroxide). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 20-19172: Irradiation of Sensors and Adhesive Couplants for Application in LWR Primary Loop Piping and Components | $497,881 | Researchers paln to attach ultrasonic transducers to substrates using various adhesive couplants that will be irradiated at elevated temperature to simulate LWR primary loop conditions at the PULSTAR reactor at North Carolina State University. Ultrasonic data will be taken in-situ. Subsequently, the sensors and couplant interfaces will be characterized using the LAMDA facility at ORNL. The results will be used to benefit a parallel EPRI project on online monitoring of cracks in LWR primary loop piping. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 | |
| NEUP Project 20-19128: Machine Learning on High-Throughput Databases of Irradiation Response and Corrosion Properties of Selected Compositionally Complex Alloys for Structural Nuclear Materials | University of Wisconsin-Madison | $500,000 | Researchers will integrate high-throughput synthesis, irradiation, and characterization with atomistic and mesoscale simulation and machine learning to develop understanding and predictive models for irradiation response and corrosion properties of selected alloys. The focus will be on structural Compositionally Complex Alloys (four or more elements in a single-phase solid solution) relevant for high temperature nuclear applications. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19178: Demonstration of Self Powered Neutron Detectors Performance and Reliability | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will demonstrate operation of domestically produced self-powered neutron detectors in the pressurized water loop at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor (MITR) as part of a developmental program to incorporate such sensors into ATR fuels and materials experiments. This ability to point measure flux in ATR experiments in real time will substantially contribute to fulfillment of DOE-NE program objectives. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19163: Synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a separate effect investigation approach | North Carolina State University | $- | Reserachers will investigate the synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a series of separate effect experiments which will look at the effect of irradiation on iron-based systems and nickel-based systems and how radiation damage affect corrosion processes to support Liquid Metal Cooled Reactors and Molten Salt Reactors. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19122: Effect of neutron irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline nickel | North Carolina State University | $- | Researchers will conduct post irradiation examination (PIE) of nanocrystalline and conventional grained nickel that has been irradiated in ATR for 1 and 2 dpa. The PIE involves mechanical and microstrutural characterization using microhardness, tensile, electron backscatter diffraction, optical, tranmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography techniques. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19821: X-ray diffraction tomography analysis of SiC composite tubes neutron-irradiated with a radial high heat flux | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will conduct x-ray diffraction computed tomography analysis at NSLS II at Brookhaven National Laboratory and provide critical data on lattice strain for the response of SiC tubes to neutron irradiation under a temperature gradient. This information will be used to validate and/or improve the thermo-mechanical modeling of SiC/SiC tubes for accident tolerant LWR fuel applications. This experimental result will be compared with simulated lattice strains. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19145: Improving Lifetime Prediction of Electrical Cables in Containment | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Cable degradation accelerates late in the cable's lifetime curve but this phenomena must be validated with experimental data. Researchers will use the Sandia Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF) to expose nuclear cable insulation samples in sealed containers to a series of gamma doses at a series of dose rates. Oxygen concentration of the sealed containers and dielectric properties of the polymer samples will be measured pre- and post-irradiation. Lifetime curves of the insulation will be determined at more extreme accelerated conditions. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 21-24335: Deployment and In-Pile Test of an Instrument for Real-Time Monitoring Thermal Conductivity Evolution of Nuclear Fuels | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | The objective of this proposed project is to deploy a recently developed fiber-optic-based instrument in the MIT Research Reactor to perform in-pile thermal conductivity measurements of fuels and materials. The design of this instrument is based on the photothermal radiometry. In this method, thermal conductivity is measured by locally heating the sample surface and measuring the transient temperature gradient by collecting infrared black-body radiation. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24020: Understanding irradiation behaviors of ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature sensor materials for advanced nuclear reactor systems | North Carolina State University | $500,000 | The project will focus on a systematic study of irradiation effects on emerging ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature and radiation-resistant sensor materials through a series of well-designed neutron irradiation and post-irradiation examination (PIE) experiments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24327: Effect of neutron irradiation on friction stir welded Ni-based ODS MA754 alloy | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $200,000 | Researchers will study the effect of neutron irradiation and friction stir welding (FSW) on Ni-based oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) MA754 to understand the general trend of microstructural evolution and resulting radiation-hardening, in order to develop appropriate processing-structure-property-dose correlations. Efforts will also be made to compare the neutron irradiation performance of ODS and FSW concepts on Ni-base and Fe-base alloys (MA754 vs. MA956). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| Mechanical response and chemical effects at the fuel-cladding interface of HT-9 and metallic fuel | Purdue University | $800,000 | The proposed research will perform advanced post-irradiation examination, including microstructural, thermal, and mechanical characterization, on an accelerated in-pile experiment (FAST - Fission Accelerated Steady-state Test) irradiated U-10Zr fuel rodlets clad in HT-9 with and without Zr liners. Experiments will be complemented with lanthanide diffusion modeling. Results from the experiments and computational studies will be integrated into MARMOT/BISON. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Gamma irradiation effects on the mechanical behavior of seismic protective devices | University at Buffalo | $800,000 | The goal of this project is to investigate the effect of gamma radiation on the mechanical behavior of the seismic protective devices. The project will involve irradiation of these isolators and dampers in the Foss gamma irradiator at INL and performing mechanical testing of the pre-irradiated and post-irradiated specimens in the single-bearing test machine at the University at Buffalo (UB). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Accelerated Irradiation and Evaluation of Ultrastrong and Elastic Glassy Carbon | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | The proposed project will conduct accelerated irradiation and post-irradiation evaluation of ultra-strong and elastic glassy carbon fabricated through our established advanced manufacturing process based on pressure and/or electrical field assisted sintering at moderate temperatures. The objective is to evaluate the irradiation tolerance of advanced glassy carbon fabricated through accelerated irradiation with high-energy carbon and copper ion beams and investigate irradiation-induced changes. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Integrated Effects of Irradiation and Flibe Salt on Fuel Pebble and Structural Graphites for Molten Salt Reactors | Kairos Power | $- | This project will investigate the irradiation response of the Flibe/fuel pebble carbon matrix and Flibe/structural graphite systems with a focus on salt infiltration and its effect on microstructure for molten salt reactor applications. The objectives are to quantify the irradiation-induced changes in Flibe infiltration behavior and quantify the influence of infiltration under irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Irradiation-Corrosion of Alumina-Forming Austenitic Stainless Steels in Static Lead | Purdue University | $0 | This project will investigate the performance of alumina-forming austenitic stainless steels in coupled extremes of neutron irradiation and static lead. The results of this work will inform the extent of liquid metal embrittlement of this leading candidate material for lead fast reactor designs. A novel irradiation-corrosion capsule for miniature tensile specimens will be utilized, and post-irradiation/corrosion examination will include structural, chemical, and mechanical characterizations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| UN multi-design irradiation campaign: a critical assessment of accelerated burnup and main correlations for mechanistic fuel performance modeling | University of Texas at San Antonio | $0 | The objective of this project is to produce a robust array of uranium mononitride (UN) irradiated samples to serve post irradiation examination (PIE) and demonstrate the significant performance margins and safety of UN. The proposing team, which is comprised of fuels experts from the academic, national laboratory, and industry sectors, aims to probe the impact of fabrication impurities and fuel density as a function of both temperature and burn-up. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| Nondestructive Evaluation of Fracture Properties in Irradiated Light Water Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels | Electric Power Institute, Inc. | $0 | The proposed research will utilize sets of utility owned irradiated RPV surveillance samples with variable fluence levels housed at the Westinghouse Churchill Site in Pittsburgh, PA. These sample sets, which have known fracture properties from prior destructive tests, will be utilized to determine if nonstandard nondestructive evaluation methods can be used to characterize fracture properties of reactor pressure vessel steels nondestructively. | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Advanced hydride moderator irradiations for microreactor and space nuclear reactor deployment | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $0 | With the recent signing of Space Policy Directive-6, a US policy goal for micro nuclear reactor and space reactor systems has been designing these systems to utilize low-enriched uranium (LEU) ( | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Radiation Effects of High Entropy Alloys | North Carolina State University | $1,100,000 | Project's objective is to gain a comprehensive understanding of neutron radiation damage at early stage and its impact on the mechanical deformation of high entropy alloys (HEAs) by employing a combination of mechanical testing, state-of-the-art microstructural characterization, and advanced modeling techniques. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Neutron/Proton Round Robin: What role does irradiation type play in enhancing ordering in Ni-Cr-based alloys? | Oregon State University | $1,000,000 | It has been shown that irradiation can enhance ordering in selected Ni-Cr based alloys via proton and neutron irradiation, however heavy ion irradiation to similar doses did not result in ordering. There is a trade-off between ballistic mixing and enhanced diffusion that may produce flux and cascade size dependent microstructures. This innovative project will be dedicated to uncovering the roles of irradiation-type (neutron and proton) in promoting long-range order in Ni-Cr based alloys. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Characterization of Irradiation-Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking in 316 Stainless Steel Baffle-Former Bolts Harvested from Commercial Pressurized Water Reactor | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $1,100,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the mechanisms for initiation and development of irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) in austenitic stainless steel internal components, baffle-former bolts, harvested from a commercial pressurized water reactor (PWR). Core internal components of PWRs are subjected to high radiation doses, temperatures and corrosive environments. Advance microstructural characterization techniques are used to explain this degradation process. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
*Actual project funding will be established during the award negotiation phase.
FY 2022 Nuclear Science User Facilities Awards
DOE has selected one industry, one DOE National Laboratory, and two university-led projects that will take advantage of NSUF capabilities to investigate important nuclear fuel and material applications. DOE will support two of these projects with a total of $1.6 million in research funds. All four of these projects will be supported by more than $2.2 million in facility access costs and expertise for experimental neutron and ion irradiation testing, post-irradiation examination facilities, synchrotron beamline capabilities, and technical assistance for design and analysis of experiments through NSUF.
A complete list of NSUF projects with their associated abstracts is available below.
| Title | Institution | Estimated Funding* | Project Description | Abstract | Project Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEUP Project 17-12527: Additive manufacturing of thermal sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement | Boise State University | $500,000 | Researchers will develop and demonstrate an additive manufacturing approach to fabricate nonintrusive and spatially resolved sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement. The team will print thermal conductivity sensors onto fuel components using an aerosol jet printing approach, and study in-pile performance of the printed sensors through irradiation and post-irradiation testing. This research has the potential to establish a new sensor-manufacturing paradigm for the nuclear industry. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12573: Performance of SiC-SiC Cladding and Endplug Joints under Neutron Irradiation with a Thermal Gradient | General Atomics | $450,575 | Researchers will investigate the effects of temperature and thermal gradients on the irradiation performance and stability of joints in silicon carbide (SiC) cladding and endplug geometries. The project will fill a gap in understanding the performance SiC joint performance which will advance the development of accident tolerant fuels. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13004: Capacitive Discharge Resistance Welding of 14YWT for Cladding Applications | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $500,000 | Researchers will join cladding tubes of 14YWT alloy and a ferritic ODS alloy using capacitor-discharge resistance welding (CDRW), a rapid, solid-state welding (SSW) process with very low heat input. The CDRW process is especially well suited for cladding applications. The project will provide a significant advance in the state of the knowledge for joining of 14YWT and ferritic ODS materials, and will permit their broader use with increased confidence. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13050: Correlation between Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Neutron-Irradiated Ferritic-Martensitic and Austenitic Steels | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $390,000 | Researchers will identify correlations between microstructures and mechanical properties of neutron-irradiated advanced ferritic-martensitic and austenitic steels through comprehensive experimental post-irradiation examinations, coupled with thermodynamics, kinetics and microstructural hardening modeling of selected samples that are relevant to Light Water Reactors. Results from other ongoing studies and literature data of similar alloys will be collected and compared to complement the correlations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13073: Radiation Effects on Optical Fiber Sensor Fused Smart Alloy Parts with Graded Alloy Composition Manufactured by Additive Manufacturing Processes | University of Pittsburgh | $500,000 | Researchers will establish the foundation for converging disciplines of multi-functional fiber optic sensors and additive manufacturing for smart part fabrications for nuclear energy applications, especially for in-pile applications. Using advanced laser fabrication techniques, the team will develop both high-temperature stable point sensors and distributed fiber sensors for high spatial resolution measurements in radiation-hardened silica and sapphire fibers. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13007: Irradiation of Advanced Neutron Absorbing Material to Support Accident Tolerant Fuel | AREVA | $- | To provide irradiation and post-irradiation examination program for four neutron absorber materials. The team will evaluate four pellets of each absorber type irradiated to target doses of 1.3 and 2.7 x 1022 n/cm2. Following neutron irradiation, examinations will focus on pellet integrity using optical microscopy and dimensional measurements to characterize irradiation induced swelling. This scope of work will utilize HFIR and hot cells at ORNL. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13088: Improved Understanding of Zircaloy-2 Hydrogen Pickup Mechanism in BWRs | Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. | $- | Researchers will study why Zircaloy-2 material shows high hydrogen pickup and variability in BWR environments by investigating the correlation between the irradiated Zircaloy-2 oxide layer resistivity and hydrogen pickup. The scope of work will include in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements on pre-irradiated channel and water rod samples as well as post-irradiation characterization of the same materials using Transmission Electron Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12976: Study of the Irradiation Behavior of Fast Reactor Mixed Oxide Annular Fuel with Modern Microstructural Characterization to Support Science Based Model Validation | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will grow the available database of post irradiation data available for annular mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel irradiated in fast spectrum reactors by examining irradiated fuel from the FO-2 irradiation. The data collected in this project would be used to validate models currently being developed at the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) for fuel performance models that seek to simulate MOX fuel behavior and will be implemented in BISON. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12849: Simulation of Radiation and Thermal Effects in Advanced Cladding Materials | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will develop atomic scale data on the phase stability and thermo-mechanical properties of FeCrAl accident tolerant cladding under the combined effects of radiation and elevated temperature. The goal is to ultimately provide materials parameters for the MARMOT code and develop predictive physics-based models for the BISON code. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12853: HPC Access to Advance Understanding of Fission Gas Behavior in Nuclear Fuel | University of Tennessee at Knoxville | $- | Researchers will develop high-performance simulation tools to predict fission gas bubble evolution in nuclear fuel. The scope of work in this project includes access to 10 Million CPU hours of high performance computing (HPC) resources each year for 2 years. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 18-14788: Irradiation Testing of Materials Produced by Additive Friction Stir Manufacturing | Aeroprobe | $408,549.00 | Researchers will perform irradiation and post-irradiation examination of materials produced by the MELD manufacturing process (FKA additive friction stir (AFS)) and analogous advanced manufacturing technologies. Compared with other additive manufacturing technique, MELD is much faster, generates a refined equiaxed structure, and does not require the post-manufacturing treatments needed for processes based on melting and solidification. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14749: Irradiation Behavior of Piezoelectric Materials for Nuclear Reactor Sensors | The Ohio State University | $500,000.00 | The objective of this project is to perform a focused investigation of the irradiation behavior of piezoelectric aluminum nitride, a material considered as a highly attractive candidate for ultrasonic sensors in nuclear applications. In previous irradiation tests it has been identified as highly irradiation tolerant. The experiment will be designed to allow measurement of irradiation effects while isolating effects caused by transducer design. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14730: High-performance Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials and Generators for In-pile Power Harvesting | University of Notre Dame | $500,000.00 | This project aims to develop radiation-resistant nanostructured bulk thermoelectric materials and devices for in-pile power harvesting and sensing. The thermoelectric power harvesting technology has crosscutting significance to expand nuclear reactor sensing, instrumentation and offer major cost savings and enhanced safety for all reactor designs & fuel cycle concepts. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 19-16380: High Fluence Active Irradiation and Combined Effects Testing of Sapphire Optical Fiber Distributed Temperature Sensors | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | This project will test and characterize distributed temperature measurements in sapphire optical fiber for high-temperature radiation environments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16297: Irradiation Studies on Electron Beam Welded PM-HIP Pressure Vessel Steel | Purdue University | $500,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the integrity of electron beam (EB) welded powder metallurgy with hot isostatic pressing pressure vessel steel under irradiation. This project will conduct neutron irradiations and post irradiation examination (PIE) on EB. The project will systematically study the effects of composition, heat treatment, and processing on irradiation response. PIE will include microstructure, mechanical, and fracture toughness testing. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16895: Irradiation of Optical Components of In-Situ Laser Spectroscopic Sensors for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Systems | University of Michigan | $500,000 | This project will investigate the effect of radiation damage in optical materials on the operation and performance of laser spectroscopic sensors. Significantly beyond the scope of prior studies, this project will seek to understand the effect of simultaneous radiation damage and annealing on optical materials operated in high-temperature environments, and further evaluate the effect of irradiation on nonlinear optical absorption. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17159: High Power Irradiation Testing of TRISO Fuel Particles with UCO and UO2 Kernels in Miniature Fuel Specimen Capsules in HFIR | Kairos Power LLC | $- | The proposed project is to conduct very high-power TRISO particle irradiations to demonstrate significant performance margin to current Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) tests, where the AGR program irradiations can be applied to near-term operation of a Kairos Power prototype fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR). The proposed test is exploratory in nature, designed to support a long-term advanced FHR design with very high particle powers. The irradiation test will be performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the High Flux Isotope Reactor using the existing miniature fuel specimen capsule. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17109: Integral Fuel Rod Real-Time Wireless Sensor & Transmitter Irradiation Test and Post Irradiation Examination | Westinghouse Electric Co. | $- | Researchers will continue the development of a remotely interrogated (magnetic coupling) in-core wireless sensor embedded within a fuel rod, which is capable of measuring critical parameters such as fuel pellet center line temperature, fuel pellet elongation, fuel rod pressure and neutron flux. The sensor will wirelessly transmit them through the fuel rod cladding and coolant without compromising the structural integrity of the fuel rod. This non-intrusive system would accelerate development of advanced fuel by providing real-time data. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16567: Irradiation-assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking of PWR-irradiated Type 347 Stainless Steel | Westinghouse Electric Company | $- | This project will use material from commercial pressurized water reactor baffle-former bolts (neutron irradiated Type 347 steel), available from previous failure investigations and industry research, to conduct irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking initiation tests under controlled experimental conditions. The research will assess the dependence of this cracking phenomena on radiation damage and reactor water chemistry (potassium hydroxide versus lithium hydroxide). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 20-19172: Irradiation of Sensors and Adhesive Couplants for Application in LWR Primary Loop Piping and Components | $497,881 | Researchers paln to attach ultrasonic transducers to substrates using various adhesive couplants that will be irradiated at elevated temperature to simulate LWR primary loop conditions at the PULSTAR reactor at North Carolina State University. Ultrasonic data will be taken in-situ. Subsequently, the sensors and couplant interfaces will be characterized using the LAMDA facility at ORNL. The results will be used to benefit a parallel EPRI project on online monitoring of cracks in LWR primary loop piping. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 | |
| NEUP Project 20-19128: Machine Learning on High-Throughput Databases of Irradiation Response and Corrosion Properties of Selected Compositionally Complex Alloys for Structural Nuclear Materials | University of Wisconsin-Madison | $500,000 | Researchers will integrate high-throughput synthesis, irradiation, and characterization with atomistic and mesoscale simulation and machine learning to develop understanding and predictive models for irradiation response and corrosion properties of selected alloys. The focus will be on structural Compositionally Complex Alloys (four or more elements in a single-phase solid solution) relevant for high temperature nuclear applications. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19178: Demonstration of Self Powered Neutron Detectors Performance and Reliability | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will demonstrate operation of domestically produced self-powered neutron detectors in the pressurized water loop at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor (MITR) as part of a developmental program to incorporate such sensors into ATR fuels and materials experiments. This ability to point measure flux in ATR experiments in real time will substantially contribute to fulfillment of DOE-NE program objectives. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19163: Synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a separate effect investigation approach | North Carolina State University | $- | Reserachers will investigate the synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a series of separate effect experiments which will look at the effect of irradiation on iron-based systems and nickel-based systems and how radiation damage affect corrosion processes to support Liquid Metal Cooled Reactors and Molten Salt Reactors. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19122: Effect of neutron irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline nickel | North Carolina State University | $- | Researchers will conduct post irradiation examination (PIE) of nanocrystalline and conventional grained nickel that has been irradiated in ATR for 1 and 2 dpa. The PIE involves mechanical and microstrutural characterization using microhardness, tensile, electron backscatter diffraction, optical, tranmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography techniques. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19821: X-ray diffraction tomography analysis of SiC composite tubes neutron-irradiated with a radial high heat flux | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will conduct x-ray diffraction computed tomography analysis at NSLS II at Brookhaven National Laboratory and provide critical data on lattice strain for the response of SiC tubes to neutron irradiation under a temperature gradient. This information will be used to validate and/or improve the thermo-mechanical modeling of SiC/SiC tubes for accident tolerant LWR fuel applications. This experimental result will be compared with simulated lattice strains. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19145: Improving Lifetime Prediction of Electrical Cables in Containment | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Cable degradation accelerates late in the cable's lifetime curve but this phenomena must be validated with experimental data. Researchers will use the Sandia Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF) to expose nuclear cable insulation samples in sealed containers to a series of gamma doses at a series of dose rates. Oxygen concentration of the sealed containers and dielectric properties of the polymer samples will be measured pre- and post-irradiation. Lifetime curves of the insulation will be determined at more extreme accelerated conditions. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 21-24335: Deployment and In-Pile Test of an Instrument for Real-Time Monitoring Thermal Conductivity Evolution of Nuclear Fuels | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | The objective of this proposed project is to deploy a recently developed fiber-optic-based instrument in the MIT Research Reactor to perform in-pile thermal conductivity measurements of fuels and materials. The design of this instrument is based on the photothermal radiometry. In this method, thermal conductivity is measured by locally heating the sample surface and measuring the transient temperature gradient by collecting infrared black-body radiation. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24020: Understanding irradiation behaviors of ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature sensor materials for advanced nuclear reactor systems | North Carolina State University | $500,000 | The project will focus on a systematic study of irradiation effects on emerging ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature and radiation-resistant sensor materials through a series of well-designed neutron irradiation and post-irradiation examination (PIE) experiments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24327: Effect of neutron irradiation on friction stir welded Ni-based ODS MA754 alloy | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $200,000 | Researchers will study the effect of neutron irradiation and friction stir welding (FSW) on Ni-based oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) MA754 to understand the general trend of microstructural evolution and resulting radiation-hardening, in order to develop appropriate processing-structure-property-dose correlations. Efforts will also be made to compare the neutron irradiation performance of ODS and FSW concepts on Ni-base and Fe-base alloys (MA754 vs. MA956). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| Mechanical response and chemical effects at the fuel-cladding interface of HT-9 and metallic fuel | Purdue University | $800,000 | The proposed research will perform advanced post-irradiation examination, including microstructural, thermal, and mechanical characterization, on an accelerated in-pile experiment (FAST - Fission Accelerated Steady-state Test) irradiated U-10Zr fuel rodlets clad in HT-9 with and without Zr liners. Experiments will be complemented with lanthanide diffusion modeling. Results from the experiments and computational studies will be integrated into MARMOT/BISON. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Gamma irradiation effects on the mechanical behavior of seismic protective devices | University at Buffalo | $800,000 | The goal of this project is to investigate the effect of gamma radiation on the mechanical behavior of the seismic protective devices. The project will involve irradiation of these isolators and dampers in the Foss gamma irradiator at INL and performing mechanical testing of the pre-irradiated and post-irradiated specimens in the single-bearing test machine at the University at Buffalo (UB). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Accelerated Irradiation and Evaluation of Ultrastrong and Elastic Glassy Carbon | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | The proposed project will conduct accelerated irradiation and post-irradiation evaluation of ultra-strong and elastic glassy carbon fabricated through our established advanced manufacturing process based on pressure and/or electrical field assisted sintering at moderate temperatures. The objective is to evaluate the irradiation tolerance of advanced glassy carbon fabricated through accelerated irradiation with high-energy carbon and copper ion beams and investigate irradiation-induced changes. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Integrated Effects of Irradiation and Flibe Salt on Fuel Pebble and Structural Graphites for Molten Salt Reactors | Kairos Power | $- | This project will investigate the irradiation response of the Flibe/fuel pebble carbon matrix and Flibe/structural graphite systems with a focus on salt infiltration and its effect on microstructure for molten salt reactor applications. The objectives are to quantify the irradiation-induced changes in Flibe infiltration behavior and quantify the influence of infiltration under irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Irradiation-Corrosion of Alumina-Forming Austenitic Stainless Steels in Static Lead | Purdue University | $0 | This project will investigate the performance of alumina-forming austenitic stainless steels in coupled extremes of neutron irradiation and static lead. The results of this work will inform the extent of liquid metal embrittlement of this leading candidate material for lead fast reactor designs. A novel irradiation-corrosion capsule for miniature tensile specimens will be utilized, and post-irradiation/corrosion examination will include structural, chemical, and mechanical characterizations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| UN multi-design irradiation campaign: a critical assessment of accelerated burnup and main correlations for mechanistic fuel performance modeling | University of Texas at San Antonio | $0 | The objective of this project is to produce a robust array of uranium mononitride (UN) irradiated samples to serve post irradiation examination (PIE) and demonstrate the significant performance margins and safety of UN. The proposing team, which is comprised of fuels experts from the academic, national laboratory, and industry sectors, aims to probe the impact of fabrication impurities and fuel density as a function of both temperature and burn-up. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| Nondestructive Evaluation of Fracture Properties in Irradiated Light Water Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels | Electric Power Institute, Inc. | $0 | The proposed research will utilize sets of utility owned irradiated RPV surveillance samples with variable fluence levels housed at the Westinghouse Churchill Site in Pittsburgh, PA. These sample sets, which have known fracture properties from prior destructive tests, will be utilized to determine if nonstandard nondestructive evaluation methods can be used to characterize fracture properties of reactor pressure vessel steels nondestructively. | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Advanced hydride moderator irradiations for microreactor and space nuclear reactor deployment | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $0 | With the recent signing of Space Policy Directive-6, a US policy goal for micro nuclear reactor and space reactor systems has been designing these systems to utilize low-enriched uranium (LEU) ( | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Radiation Effects of High Entropy Alloys | North Carolina State University | $1,100,000 | Project's objective is to gain a comprehensive understanding of neutron radiation damage at early stage and its impact on the mechanical deformation of high entropy alloys (HEAs) by employing a combination of mechanical testing, state-of-the-art microstructural characterization, and advanced modeling techniques. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Neutron/Proton Round Robin: What role does irradiation type play in enhancing ordering in Ni-Cr-based alloys? | Oregon State University | $1,000,000 | It has been shown that irradiation can enhance ordering in selected Ni-Cr based alloys via proton and neutron irradiation, however heavy ion irradiation to similar doses did not result in ordering. There is a trade-off between ballistic mixing and enhanced diffusion that may produce flux and cascade size dependent microstructures. This innovative project will be dedicated to uncovering the roles of irradiation-type (neutron and proton) in promoting long-range order in Ni-Cr based alloys. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Characterization of Irradiation-Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking in 316 Stainless Steel Baffle-Former Bolts Harvested from Commercial Pressurized Water Reactor | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $1,100,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the mechanisms for initiation and development of irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) in austenitic stainless steel internal components, baffle-former bolts, harvested from a commercial pressurized water reactor (PWR). Core internal components of PWRs are subjected to high radiation doses, temperatures and corrosive environments. Advance microstructural characterization techniques are used to explain this degradation process. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
*Actual project funding will be established during the award negotiation phase.
FY 2021 Nuclear Science User Facilities Awards
DOE has selected one industry, two DOE National Laboratories, and one university-led project that will take advantage of NSUF capabilities to investigate important nuclear fuel and material applications. DOE will support three of these projects with a total of $1.2 million in research funds. All four of these projects will be supported by more than $3.9 million in facility access costs and expertise for experimental neutron and ion irradiation testing, post-irradiation examination facilities, synchrotron beamline capabilities, and technical assistance for design and analysis of experiments through NSUF.
A complete list of NSUF projects with their associated abstracts is available below.
| Title | Institution | Estimated Funding* | Project Description | Abstract | Project Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEUP Project 17-12527: Additive manufacturing of thermal sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement | Boise State University | $500,000 | Researchers will develop and demonstrate an additive manufacturing approach to fabricate nonintrusive and spatially resolved sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement. The team will print thermal conductivity sensors onto fuel components using an aerosol jet printing approach, and study in-pile performance of the printed sensors through irradiation and post-irradiation testing. This research has the potential to establish a new sensor-manufacturing paradigm for the nuclear industry. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12573: Performance of SiC-SiC Cladding and Endplug Joints under Neutron Irradiation with a Thermal Gradient | General Atomics | $450,575 | Researchers will investigate the effects of temperature and thermal gradients on the irradiation performance and stability of joints in silicon carbide (SiC) cladding and endplug geometries. The project will fill a gap in understanding the performance SiC joint performance which will advance the development of accident tolerant fuels. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13004: Capacitive Discharge Resistance Welding of 14YWT for Cladding Applications | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $500,000 | Researchers will join cladding tubes of 14YWT alloy and a ferritic ODS alloy using capacitor-discharge resistance welding (CDRW), a rapid, solid-state welding (SSW) process with very low heat input. The CDRW process is especially well suited for cladding applications. The project will provide a significant advance in the state of the knowledge for joining of 14YWT and ferritic ODS materials, and will permit their broader use with increased confidence. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13050: Correlation between Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Neutron-Irradiated Ferritic-Martensitic and Austenitic Steels | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $390,000 | Researchers will identify correlations between microstructures and mechanical properties of neutron-irradiated advanced ferritic-martensitic and austenitic steels through comprehensive experimental post-irradiation examinations, coupled with thermodynamics, kinetics and microstructural hardening modeling of selected samples that are relevant to Light Water Reactors. Results from other ongoing studies and literature data of similar alloys will be collected and compared to complement the correlations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13073: Radiation Effects on Optical Fiber Sensor Fused Smart Alloy Parts with Graded Alloy Composition Manufactured by Additive Manufacturing Processes | University of Pittsburgh | $500,000 | Researchers will establish the foundation for converging disciplines of multi-functional fiber optic sensors and additive manufacturing for smart part fabrications for nuclear energy applications, especially for in-pile applications. Using advanced laser fabrication techniques, the team will develop both high-temperature stable point sensors and distributed fiber sensors for high spatial resolution measurements in radiation-hardened silica and sapphire fibers. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13007: Irradiation of Advanced Neutron Absorbing Material to Support Accident Tolerant Fuel | AREVA | $- | To provide irradiation and post-irradiation examination program for four neutron absorber materials. The team will evaluate four pellets of each absorber type irradiated to target doses of 1.3 and 2.7 x 1022 n/cm2. Following neutron irradiation, examinations will focus on pellet integrity using optical microscopy and dimensional measurements to characterize irradiation induced swelling. This scope of work will utilize HFIR and hot cells at ORNL. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13088: Improved Understanding of Zircaloy-2 Hydrogen Pickup Mechanism in BWRs | Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. | $- | Researchers will study why Zircaloy-2 material shows high hydrogen pickup and variability in BWR environments by investigating the correlation between the irradiated Zircaloy-2 oxide layer resistivity and hydrogen pickup. The scope of work will include in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements on pre-irradiated channel and water rod samples as well as post-irradiation characterization of the same materials using Transmission Electron Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12976: Study of the Irradiation Behavior of Fast Reactor Mixed Oxide Annular Fuel with Modern Microstructural Characterization to Support Science Based Model Validation | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will grow the available database of post irradiation data available for annular mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel irradiated in fast spectrum reactors by examining irradiated fuel from the FO-2 irradiation. The data collected in this project would be used to validate models currently being developed at the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) for fuel performance models that seek to simulate MOX fuel behavior and will be implemented in BISON. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12849: Simulation of Radiation and Thermal Effects in Advanced Cladding Materials | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will develop atomic scale data on the phase stability and thermo-mechanical properties of FeCrAl accident tolerant cladding under the combined effects of radiation and elevated temperature. The goal is to ultimately provide materials parameters for the MARMOT code and develop predictive physics-based models for the BISON code. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12853: HPC Access to Advance Understanding of Fission Gas Behavior in Nuclear Fuel | University of Tennessee at Knoxville | $- | Researchers will develop high-performance simulation tools to predict fission gas bubble evolution in nuclear fuel. The scope of work in this project includes access to 10 Million CPU hours of high performance computing (HPC) resources each year for 2 years. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 18-14788: Irradiation Testing of Materials Produced by Additive Friction Stir Manufacturing | Aeroprobe | $408,549.00 | Researchers will perform irradiation and post-irradiation examination of materials produced by the MELD manufacturing process (FKA additive friction stir (AFS)) and analogous advanced manufacturing technologies. Compared with other additive manufacturing technique, MELD is much faster, generates a refined equiaxed structure, and does not require the post-manufacturing treatments needed for processes based on melting and solidification. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14749: Irradiation Behavior of Piezoelectric Materials for Nuclear Reactor Sensors | The Ohio State University | $500,000.00 | The objective of this project is to perform a focused investigation of the irradiation behavior of piezoelectric aluminum nitride, a material considered as a highly attractive candidate for ultrasonic sensors in nuclear applications. In previous irradiation tests it has been identified as highly irradiation tolerant. The experiment will be designed to allow measurement of irradiation effects while isolating effects caused by transducer design. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14730: High-performance Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials and Generators for In-pile Power Harvesting | University of Notre Dame | $500,000.00 | This project aims to develop radiation-resistant nanostructured bulk thermoelectric materials and devices for in-pile power harvesting and sensing. The thermoelectric power harvesting technology has crosscutting significance to expand nuclear reactor sensing, instrumentation and offer major cost savings and enhanced safety for all reactor designs & fuel cycle concepts. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 19-16380: High Fluence Active Irradiation and Combined Effects Testing of Sapphire Optical Fiber Distributed Temperature Sensors | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | This project will test and characterize distributed temperature measurements in sapphire optical fiber for high-temperature radiation environments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16297: Irradiation Studies on Electron Beam Welded PM-HIP Pressure Vessel Steel | Purdue University | $500,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the integrity of electron beam (EB) welded powder metallurgy with hot isostatic pressing pressure vessel steel under irradiation. This project will conduct neutron irradiations and post irradiation examination (PIE) on EB. The project will systematically study the effects of composition, heat treatment, and processing on irradiation response. PIE will include microstructure, mechanical, and fracture toughness testing. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16895: Irradiation of Optical Components of In-Situ Laser Spectroscopic Sensors for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Systems | University of Michigan | $500,000 | This project will investigate the effect of radiation damage in optical materials on the operation and performance of laser spectroscopic sensors. Significantly beyond the scope of prior studies, this project will seek to understand the effect of simultaneous radiation damage and annealing on optical materials operated in high-temperature environments, and further evaluate the effect of irradiation on nonlinear optical absorption. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17159: High Power Irradiation Testing of TRISO Fuel Particles with UCO and UO2 Kernels in Miniature Fuel Specimen Capsules in HFIR | Kairos Power LLC | $- | The proposed project is to conduct very high-power TRISO particle irradiations to demonstrate significant performance margin to current Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) tests, where the AGR program irradiations can be applied to near-term operation of a Kairos Power prototype fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR). The proposed test is exploratory in nature, designed to support a long-term advanced FHR design with very high particle powers. The irradiation test will be performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the High Flux Isotope Reactor using the existing miniature fuel specimen capsule. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17109: Integral Fuel Rod Real-Time Wireless Sensor & Transmitter Irradiation Test and Post Irradiation Examination | Westinghouse Electric Co. | $- | Researchers will continue the development of a remotely interrogated (magnetic coupling) in-core wireless sensor embedded within a fuel rod, which is capable of measuring critical parameters such as fuel pellet center line temperature, fuel pellet elongation, fuel rod pressure and neutron flux. The sensor will wirelessly transmit them through the fuel rod cladding and coolant without compromising the structural integrity of the fuel rod. This non-intrusive system would accelerate development of advanced fuel by providing real-time data. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16567: Irradiation-assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking of PWR-irradiated Type 347 Stainless Steel | Westinghouse Electric Company | $- | This project will use material from commercial pressurized water reactor baffle-former bolts (neutron irradiated Type 347 steel), available from previous failure investigations and industry research, to conduct irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking initiation tests under controlled experimental conditions. The research will assess the dependence of this cracking phenomena on radiation damage and reactor water chemistry (potassium hydroxide versus lithium hydroxide). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 20-19172: Irradiation of Sensors and Adhesive Couplants for Application in LWR Primary Loop Piping and Components | $497,881 | Researchers paln to attach ultrasonic transducers to substrates using various adhesive couplants that will be irradiated at elevated temperature to simulate LWR primary loop conditions at the PULSTAR reactor at North Carolina State University. Ultrasonic data will be taken in-situ. Subsequently, the sensors and couplant interfaces will be characterized using the LAMDA facility at ORNL. The results will be used to benefit a parallel EPRI project on online monitoring of cracks in LWR primary loop piping. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 | |
| NEUP Project 20-19128: Machine Learning on High-Throughput Databases of Irradiation Response and Corrosion Properties of Selected Compositionally Complex Alloys for Structural Nuclear Materials | University of Wisconsin-Madison | $500,000 | Researchers will integrate high-throughput synthesis, irradiation, and characterization with atomistic and mesoscale simulation and machine learning to develop understanding and predictive models for irradiation response and corrosion properties of selected alloys. The focus will be on structural Compositionally Complex Alloys (four or more elements in a single-phase solid solution) relevant for high temperature nuclear applications. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19178: Demonstration of Self Powered Neutron Detectors Performance and Reliability | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will demonstrate operation of domestically produced self-powered neutron detectors in the pressurized water loop at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor (MITR) as part of a developmental program to incorporate such sensors into ATR fuels and materials experiments. This ability to point measure flux in ATR experiments in real time will substantially contribute to fulfillment of DOE-NE program objectives. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19163: Synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a separate effect investigation approach | North Carolina State University | $- | Reserachers will investigate the synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a series of separate effect experiments which will look at the effect of irradiation on iron-based systems and nickel-based systems and how radiation damage affect corrosion processes to support Liquid Metal Cooled Reactors and Molten Salt Reactors. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19122: Effect of neutron irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline nickel | North Carolina State University | $- | Researchers will conduct post irradiation examination (PIE) of nanocrystalline and conventional grained nickel that has been irradiated in ATR for 1 and 2 dpa. The PIE involves mechanical and microstrutural characterization using microhardness, tensile, electron backscatter diffraction, optical, tranmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography techniques. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19821: X-ray diffraction tomography analysis of SiC composite tubes neutron-irradiated with a radial high heat flux | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will conduct x-ray diffraction computed tomography analysis at NSLS II at Brookhaven National Laboratory and provide critical data on lattice strain for the response of SiC tubes to neutron irradiation under a temperature gradient. This information will be used to validate and/or improve the thermo-mechanical modeling of SiC/SiC tubes for accident tolerant LWR fuel applications. This experimental result will be compared with simulated lattice strains. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19145: Improving Lifetime Prediction of Electrical Cables in Containment | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Cable degradation accelerates late in the cable's lifetime curve but this phenomena must be validated with experimental data. Researchers will use the Sandia Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF) to expose nuclear cable insulation samples in sealed containers to a series of gamma doses at a series of dose rates. Oxygen concentration of the sealed containers and dielectric properties of the polymer samples will be measured pre- and post-irradiation. Lifetime curves of the insulation will be determined at more extreme accelerated conditions. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 21-24335: Deployment and In-Pile Test of an Instrument for Real-Time Monitoring Thermal Conductivity Evolution of Nuclear Fuels | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | The objective of this proposed project is to deploy a recently developed fiber-optic-based instrument in the MIT Research Reactor to perform in-pile thermal conductivity measurements of fuels and materials. The design of this instrument is based on the photothermal radiometry. In this method, thermal conductivity is measured by locally heating the sample surface and measuring the transient temperature gradient by collecting infrared black-body radiation. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24020: Understanding irradiation behaviors of ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature sensor materials for advanced nuclear reactor systems | North Carolina State University | $500,000 | The project will focus on a systematic study of irradiation effects on emerging ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature and radiation-resistant sensor materials through a series of well-designed neutron irradiation and post-irradiation examination (PIE) experiments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24327: Effect of neutron irradiation on friction stir welded Ni-based ODS MA754 alloy | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $200,000 | Researchers will study the effect of neutron irradiation and friction stir welding (FSW) on Ni-based oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) MA754 to understand the general trend of microstructural evolution and resulting radiation-hardening, in order to develop appropriate processing-structure-property-dose correlations. Efforts will also be made to compare the neutron irradiation performance of ODS and FSW concepts on Ni-base and Fe-base alloys (MA754 vs. MA956). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| Mechanical response and chemical effects at the fuel-cladding interface of HT-9 and metallic fuel | Purdue University | $800,000 | The proposed research will perform advanced post-irradiation examination, including microstructural, thermal, and mechanical characterization, on an accelerated in-pile experiment (FAST - Fission Accelerated Steady-state Test) irradiated U-10Zr fuel rodlets clad in HT-9 with and without Zr liners. Experiments will be complemented with lanthanide diffusion modeling. Results from the experiments and computational studies will be integrated into MARMOT/BISON. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Gamma irradiation effects on the mechanical behavior of seismic protective devices | University at Buffalo | $800,000 | The goal of this project is to investigate the effect of gamma radiation on the mechanical behavior of the seismic protective devices. The project will involve irradiation of these isolators and dampers in the Foss gamma irradiator at INL and performing mechanical testing of the pre-irradiated and post-irradiated specimens in the single-bearing test machine at the University at Buffalo (UB). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Accelerated Irradiation and Evaluation of Ultrastrong and Elastic Glassy Carbon | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | The proposed project will conduct accelerated irradiation and post-irradiation evaluation of ultra-strong and elastic glassy carbon fabricated through our established advanced manufacturing process based on pressure and/or electrical field assisted sintering at moderate temperatures. The objective is to evaluate the irradiation tolerance of advanced glassy carbon fabricated through accelerated irradiation with high-energy carbon and copper ion beams and investigate irradiation-induced changes. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Integrated Effects of Irradiation and Flibe Salt on Fuel Pebble and Structural Graphites for Molten Salt Reactors | Kairos Power | $- | This project will investigate the irradiation response of the Flibe/fuel pebble carbon matrix and Flibe/structural graphite systems with a focus on salt infiltration and its effect on microstructure for molten salt reactor applications. The objectives are to quantify the irradiation-induced changes in Flibe infiltration behavior and quantify the influence of infiltration under irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Irradiation-Corrosion of Alumina-Forming Austenitic Stainless Steels in Static Lead | Purdue University | $0 | This project will investigate the performance of alumina-forming austenitic stainless steels in coupled extremes of neutron irradiation and static lead. The results of this work will inform the extent of liquid metal embrittlement of this leading candidate material for lead fast reactor designs. A novel irradiation-corrosion capsule for miniature tensile specimens will be utilized, and post-irradiation/corrosion examination will include structural, chemical, and mechanical characterizations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| UN multi-design irradiation campaign: a critical assessment of accelerated burnup and main correlations for mechanistic fuel performance modeling | University of Texas at San Antonio | $0 | The objective of this project is to produce a robust array of uranium mononitride (UN) irradiated samples to serve post irradiation examination (PIE) and demonstrate the significant performance margins and safety of UN. The proposing team, which is comprised of fuels experts from the academic, national laboratory, and industry sectors, aims to probe the impact of fabrication impurities and fuel density as a function of both temperature and burn-up. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| Nondestructive Evaluation of Fracture Properties in Irradiated Light Water Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels | Electric Power Institute, Inc. | $0 | The proposed research will utilize sets of utility owned irradiated RPV surveillance samples with variable fluence levels housed at the Westinghouse Churchill Site in Pittsburgh, PA. These sample sets, which have known fracture properties from prior destructive tests, will be utilized to determine if nonstandard nondestructive evaluation methods can be used to characterize fracture properties of reactor pressure vessel steels nondestructively. | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Advanced hydride moderator irradiations for microreactor and space nuclear reactor deployment | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $0 | With the recent signing of Space Policy Directive-6, a US policy goal for micro nuclear reactor and space reactor systems has been designing these systems to utilize low-enriched uranium (LEU) ( | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Radiation Effects of High Entropy Alloys | North Carolina State University | $1,100,000 | Project's objective is to gain a comprehensive understanding of neutron radiation damage at early stage and its impact on the mechanical deformation of high entropy alloys (HEAs) by employing a combination of mechanical testing, state-of-the-art microstructural characterization, and advanced modeling techniques. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Neutron/Proton Round Robin: What role does irradiation type play in enhancing ordering in Ni-Cr-based alloys? | Oregon State University | $1,000,000 | It has been shown that irradiation can enhance ordering in selected Ni-Cr based alloys via proton and neutron irradiation, however heavy ion irradiation to similar doses did not result in ordering. There is a trade-off between ballistic mixing and enhanced diffusion that may produce flux and cascade size dependent microstructures. This innovative project will be dedicated to uncovering the roles of irradiation-type (neutron and proton) in promoting long-range order in Ni-Cr based alloys. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Characterization of Irradiation-Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking in 316 Stainless Steel Baffle-Former Bolts Harvested from Commercial Pressurized Water Reactor | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $1,100,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the mechanisms for initiation and development of irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) in austenitic stainless steel internal components, baffle-former bolts, harvested from a commercial pressurized water reactor (PWR). Core internal components of PWRs are subjected to high radiation doses, temperatures and corrosive environments. Advance microstructural characterization techniques are used to explain this degradation process. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
*Actual project funding will be established during the award negotiation phase.
FY 2020 Nuclear Science User Facilities Awards
DOE has selected one industry, three DOE National Laboratory, and three university-led projects that will take advantage of NSUF capabilities to investigate important nuclear fuel and material applications. DOE will support two of these projects with a total of $1 million in research funds. All seven of these projects will be supported by more than $2.4 million in facility access costs and expertise for experimental neutron and ion irradiation testing, post-irradiation examination facilities, synchrotron beamline capabilities, and technical assistance for design and analysis of experiments through NSUF. In addition, one of the abovementioned NEUP R&D projects will be supported with $1.6 million in NSUF access funds.
A complete list of NSUF projects with their associated abstracts is available below.
| Title | Institution | Estimated Funding* | Project Description | Abstract | Project Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEUP Project 17-12527: Additive manufacturing of thermal sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement | Boise State University | $500,000 | Researchers will develop and demonstrate an additive manufacturing approach to fabricate nonintrusive and spatially resolved sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement. The team will print thermal conductivity sensors onto fuel components using an aerosol jet printing approach, and study in-pile performance of the printed sensors through irradiation and post-irradiation testing. This research has the potential to establish a new sensor-manufacturing paradigm for the nuclear industry. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12573: Performance of SiC-SiC Cladding and Endplug Joints under Neutron Irradiation with a Thermal Gradient | General Atomics | $450,575 | Researchers will investigate the effects of temperature and thermal gradients on the irradiation performance and stability of joints in silicon carbide (SiC) cladding and endplug geometries. The project will fill a gap in understanding the performance SiC joint performance which will advance the development of accident tolerant fuels. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13004: Capacitive Discharge Resistance Welding of 14YWT for Cladding Applications | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $500,000 | Researchers will join cladding tubes of 14YWT alloy and a ferritic ODS alloy using capacitor-discharge resistance welding (CDRW), a rapid, solid-state welding (SSW) process with very low heat input. The CDRW process is especially well suited for cladding applications. The project will provide a significant advance in the state of the knowledge for joining of 14YWT and ferritic ODS materials, and will permit their broader use with increased confidence. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13050: Correlation between Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Neutron-Irradiated Ferritic-Martensitic and Austenitic Steels | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $390,000 | Researchers will identify correlations between microstructures and mechanical properties of neutron-irradiated advanced ferritic-martensitic and austenitic steels through comprehensive experimental post-irradiation examinations, coupled with thermodynamics, kinetics and microstructural hardening modeling of selected samples that are relevant to Light Water Reactors. Results from other ongoing studies and literature data of similar alloys will be collected and compared to complement the correlations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13073: Radiation Effects on Optical Fiber Sensor Fused Smart Alloy Parts with Graded Alloy Composition Manufactured by Additive Manufacturing Processes | University of Pittsburgh | $500,000 | Researchers will establish the foundation for converging disciplines of multi-functional fiber optic sensors and additive manufacturing for smart part fabrications for nuclear energy applications, especially for in-pile applications. Using advanced laser fabrication techniques, the team will develop both high-temperature stable point sensors and distributed fiber sensors for high spatial resolution measurements in radiation-hardened silica and sapphire fibers. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13007: Irradiation of Advanced Neutron Absorbing Material to Support Accident Tolerant Fuel | AREVA | $- | To provide irradiation and post-irradiation examination program for four neutron absorber materials. The team will evaluate four pellets of each absorber type irradiated to target doses of 1.3 and 2.7 x 1022 n/cm2. Following neutron irradiation, examinations will focus on pellet integrity using optical microscopy and dimensional measurements to characterize irradiation induced swelling. This scope of work will utilize HFIR and hot cells at ORNL. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13088: Improved Understanding of Zircaloy-2 Hydrogen Pickup Mechanism in BWRs | Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. | $- | Researchers will study why Zircaloy-2 material shows high hydrogen pickup and variability in BWR environments by investigating the correlation between the irradiated Zircaloy-2 oxide layer resistivity and hydrogen pickup. The scope of work will include in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements on pre-irradiated channel and water rod samples as well as post-irradiation characterization of the same materials using Transmission Electron Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12976: Study of the Irradiation Behavior of Fast Reactor Mixed Oxide Annular Fuel with Modern Microstructural Characterization to Support Science Based Model Validation | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will grow the available database of post irradiation data available for annular mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel irradiated in fast spectrum reactors by examining irradiated fuel from the FO-2 irradiation. The data collected in this project would be used to validate models currently being developed at the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) for fuel performance models that seek to simulate MOX fuel behavior and will be implemented in BISON. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12849: Simulation of Radiation and Thermal Effects in Advanced Cladding Materials | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will develop atomic scale data on the phase stability and thermo-mechanical properties of FeCrAl accident tolerant cladding under the combined effects of radiation and elevated temperature. The goal is to ultimately provide materials parameters for the MARMOT code and develop predictive physics-based models for the BISON code. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12853: HPC Access to Advance Understanding of Fission Gas Behavior in Nuclear Fuel | University of Tennessee at Knoxville | $- | Researchers will develop high-performance simulation tools to predict fission gas bubble evolution in nuclear fuel. The scope of work in this project includes access to 10 Million CPU hours of high performance computing (HPC) resources each year for 2 years. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 18-14788: Irradiation Testing of Materials Produced by Additive Friction Stir Manufacturing | Aeroprobe | $408,549.00 | Researchers will perform irradiation and post-irradiation examination of materials produced by the MELD manufacturing process (FKA additive friction stir (AFS)) and analogous advanced manufacturing technologies. Compared with other additive manufacturing technique, MELD is much faster, generates a refined equiaxed structure, and does not require the post-manufacturing treatments needed for processes based on melting and solidification. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14749: Irradiation Behavior of Piezoelectric Materials for Nuclear Reactor Sensors | The Ohio State University | $500,000.00 | The objective of this project is to perform a focused investigation of the irradiation behavior of piezoelectric aluminum nitride, a material considered as a highly attractive candidate for ultrasonic sensors in nuclear applications. In previous irradiation tests it has been identified as highly irradiation tolerant. The experiment will be designed to allow measurement of irradiation effects while isolating effects caused by transducer design. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14730: High-performance Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials and Generators for In-pile Power Harvesting | University of Notre Dame | $500,000.00 | This project aims to develop radiation-resistant nanostructured bulk thermoelectric materials and devices for in-pile power harvesting and sensing. The thermoelectric power harvesting technology has crosscutting significance to expand nuclear reactor sensing, instrumentation and offer major cost savings and enhanced safety for all reactor designs & fuel cycle concepts. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 19-16380: High Fluence Active Irradiation and Combined Effects Testing of Sapphire Optical Fiber Distributed Temperature Sensors | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | This project will test and characterize distributed temperature measurements in sapphire optical fiber for high-temperature radiation environments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16297: Irradiation Studies on Electron Beam Welded PM-HIP Pressure Vessel Steel | Purdue University | $500,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the integrity of electron beam (EB) welded powder metallurgy with hot isostatic pressing pressure vessel steel under irradiation. This project will conduct neutron irradiations and post irradiation examination (PIE) on EB. The project will systematically study the effects of composition, heat treatment, and processing on irradiation response. PIE will include microstructure, mechanical, and fracture toughness testing. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16895: Irradiation of Optical Components of In-Situ Laser Spectroscopic Sensors for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Systems | University of Michigan | $500,000 | This project will investigate the effect of radiation damage in optical materials on the operation and performance of laser spectroscopic sensors. Significantly beyond the scope of prior studies, this project will seek to understand the effect of simultaneous radiation damage and annealing on optical materials operated in high-temperature environments, and further evaluate the effect of irradiation on nonlinear optical absorption. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17159: High Power Irradiation Testing of TRISO Fuel Particles with UCO and UO2 Kernels in Miniature Fuel Specimen Capsules in HFIR | Kairos Power LLC | $- | The proposed project is to conduct very high-power TRISO particle irradiations to demonstrate significant performance margin to current Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) tests, where the AGR program irradiations can be applied to near-term operation of a Kairos Power prototype fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR). The proposed test is exploratory in nature, designed to support a long-term advanced FHR design with very high particle powers. The irradiation test will be performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the High Flux Isotope Reactor using the existing miniature fuel specimen capsule. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17109: Integral Fuel Rod Real-Time Wireless Sensor & Transmitter Irradiation Test and Post Irradiation Examination | Westinghouse Electric Co. | $- | Researchers will continue the development of a remotely interrogated (magnetic coupling) in-core wireless sensor embedded within a fuel rod, which is capable of measuring critical parameters such as fuel pellet center line temperature, fuel pellet elongation, fuel rod pressure and neutron flux. The sensor will wirelessly transmit them through the fuel rod cladding and coolant without compromising the structural integrity of the fuel rod. This non-intrusive system would accelerate development of advanced fuel by providing real-time data. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16567: Irradiation-assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking of PWR-irradiated Type 347 Stainless Steel | Westinghouse Electric Company | $- | This project will use material from commercial pressurized water reactor baffle-former bolts (neutron irradiated Type 347 steel), available from previous failure investigations and industry research, to conduct irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking initiation tests under controlled experimental conditions. The research will assess the dependence of this cracking phenomena on radiation damage and reactor water chemistry (potassium hydroxide versus lithium hydroxide). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 20-19172: Irradiation of Sensors and Adhesive Couplants for Application in LWR Primary Loop Piping and Components | $497,881 | Researchers paln to attach ultrasonic transducers to substrates using various adhesive couplants that will be irradiated at elevated temperature to simulate LWR primary loop conditions at the PULSTAR reactor at North Carolina State University. Ultrasonic data will be taken in-situ. Subsequently, the sensors and couplant interfaces will be characterized using the LAMDA facility at ORNL. The results will be used to benefit a parallel EPRI project on online monitoring of cracks in LWR primary loop piping. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 | |
| NEUP Project 20-19128: Machine Learning on High-Throughput Databases of Irradiation Response and Corrosion Properties of Selected Compositionally Complex Alloys for Structural Nuclear Materials | University of Wisconsin-Madison | $500,000 | Researchers will integrate high-throughput synthesis, irradiation, and characterization with atomistic and mesoscale simulation and machine learning to develop understanding and predictive models for irradiation response and corrosion properties of selected alloys. The focus will be on structural Compositionally Complex Alloys (four or more elements in a single-phase solid solution) relevant for high temperature nuclear applications. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19178: Demonstration of Self Powered Neutron Detectors Performance and Reliability | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will demonstrate operation of domestically produced self-powered neutron detectors in the pressurized water loop at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor (MITR) as part of a developmental program to incorporate such sensors into ATR fuels and materials experiments. This ability to point measure flux in ATR experiments in real time will substantially contribute to fulfillment of DOE-NE program objectives. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19163: Synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a separate effect investigation approach | North Carolina State University | $- | Reserachers will investigate the synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a series of separate effect experiments which will look at the effect of irradiation on iron-based systems and nickel-based systems and how radiation damage affect corrosion processes to support Liquid Metal Cooled Reactors and Molten Salt Reactors. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19122: Effect of neutron irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline nickel | North Carolina State University | $- | Researchers will conduct post irradiation examination (PIE) of nanocrystalline and conventional grained nickel that has been irradiated in ATR for 1 and 2 dpa. The PIE involves mechanical and microstrutural characterization using microhardness, tensile, electron backscatter diffraction, optical, tranmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography techniques. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19821: X-ray diffraction tomography analysis of SiC composite tubes neutron-irradiated with a radial high heat flux | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will conduct x-ray diffraction computed tomography analysis at NSLS II at Brookhaven National Laboratory and provide critical data on lattice strain for the response of SiC tubes to neutron irradiation under a temperature gradient. This information will be used to validate and/or improve the thermo-mechanical modeling of SiC/SiC tubes for accident tolerant LWR fuel applications. This experimental result will be compared with simulated lattice strains. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19145: Improving Lifetime Prediction of Electrical Cables in Containment | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Cable degradation accelerates late in the cable's lifetime curve but this phenomena must be validated with experimental data. Researchers will use the Sandia Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF) to expose nuclear cable insulation samples in sealed containers to a series of gamma doses at a series of dose rates. Oxygen concentration of the sealed containers and dielectric properties of the polymer samples will be measured pre- and post-irradiation. Lifetime curves of the insulation will be determined at more extreme accelerated conditions. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 21-24335: Deployment and In-Pile Test of an Instrument for Real-Time Monitoring Thermal Conductivity Evolution of Nuclear Fuels | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | The objective of this proposed project is to deploy a recently developed fiber-optic-based instrument in the MIT Research Reactor to perform in-pile thermal conductivity measurements of fuels and materials. The design of this instrument is based on the photothermal radiometry. In this method, thermal conductivity is measured by locally heating the sample surface and measuring the transient temperature gradient by collecting infrared black-body radiation. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24020: Understanding irradiation behaviors of ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature sensor materials for advanced nuclear reactor systems | North Carolina State University | $500,000 | The project will focus on a systematic study of irradiation effects on emerging ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature and radiation-resistant sensor materials through a series of well-designed neutron irradiation and post-irradiation examination (PIE) experiments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24327: Effect of neutron irradiation on friction stir welded Ni-based ODS MA754 alloy | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $200,000 | Researchers will study the effect of neutron irradiation and friction stir welding (FSW) on Ni-based oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) MA754 to understand the general trend of microstructural evolution and resulting radiation-hardening, in order to develop appropriate processing-structure-property-dose correlations. Efforts will also be made to compare the neutron irradiation performance of ODS and FSW concepts on Ni-base and Fe-base alloys (MA754 vs. MA956). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| Mechanical response and chemical effects at the fuel-cladding interface of HT-9 and metallic fuel | Purdue University | $800,000 | The proposed research will perform advanced post-irradiation examination, including microstructural, thermal, and mechanical characterization, on an accelerated in-pile experiment (FAST - Fission Accelerated Steady-state Test) irradiated U-10Zr fuel rodlets clad in HT-9 with and without Zr liners. Experiments will be complemented with lanthanide diffusion modeling. Results from the experiments and computational studies will be integrated into MARMOT/BISON. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Gamma irradiation effects on the mechanical behavior of seismic protective devices | University at Buffalo | $800,000 | The goal of this project is to investigate the effect of gamma radiation on the mechanical behavior of the seismic protective devices. The project will involve irradiation of these isolators and dampers in the Foss gamma irradiator at INL and performing mechanical testing of the pre-irradiated and post-irradiated specimens in the single-bearing test machine at the University at Buffalo (UB). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Accelerated Irradiation and Evaluation of Ultrastrong and Elastic Glassy Carbon | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | The proposed project will conduct accelerated irradiation and post-irradiation evaluation of ultra-strong and elastic glassy carbon fabricated through our established advanced manufacturing process based on pressure and/or electrical field assisted sintering at moderate temperatures. The objective is to evaluate the irradiation tolerance of advanced glassy carbon fabricated through accelerated irradiation with high-energy carbon and copper ion beams and investigate irradiation-induced changes. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Integrated Effects of Irradiation and Flibe Salt on Fuel Pebble and Structural Graphites for Molten Salt Reactors | Kairos Power | $- | This project will investigate the irradiation response of the Flibe/fuel pebble carbon matrix and Flibe/structural graphite systems with a focus on salt infiltration and its effect on microstructure for molten salt reactor applications. The objectives are to quantify the irradiation-induced changes in Flibe infiltration behavior and quantify the influence of infiltration under irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Irradiation-Corrosion of Alumina-Forming Austenitic Stainless Steels in Static Lead | Purdue University | $0 | This project will investigate the performance of alumina-forming austenitic stainless steels in coupled extremes of neutron irradiation and static lead. The results of this work will inform the extent of liquid metal embrittlement of this leading candidate material for lead fast reactor designs. A novel irradiation-corrosion capsule for miniature tensile specimens will be utilized, and post-irradiation/corrosion examination will include structural, chemical, and mechanical characterizations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| UN multi-design irradiation campaign: a critical assessment of accelerated burnup and main correlations for mechanistic fuel performance modeling | University of Texas at San Antonio | $0 | The objective of this project is to produce a robust array of uranium mononitride (UN) irradiated samples to serve post irradiation examination (PIE) and demonstrate the significant performance margins and safety of UN. The proposing team, which is comprised of fuels experts from the academic, national laboratory, and industry sectors, aims to probe the impact of fabrication impurities and fuel density as a function of both temperature and burn-up. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| Nondestructive Evaluation of Fracture Properties in Irradiated Light Water Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels | Electric Power Institute, Inc. | $0 | The proposed research will utilize sets of utility owned irradiated RPV surveillance samples with variable fluence levels housed at the Westinghouse Churchill Site in Pittsburgh, PA. These sample sets, which have known fracture properties from prior destructive tests, will be utilized to determine if nonstandard nondestructive evaluation methods can be used to characterize fracture properties of reactor pressure vessel steels nondestructively. | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Advanced hydride moderator irradiations for microreactor and space nuclear reactor deployment | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $0 | With the recent signing of Space Policy Directive-6, a US policy goal for micro nuclear reactor and space reactor systems has been designing these systems to utilize low-enriched uranium (LEU) ( | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Radiation Effects of High Entropy Alloys | North Carolina State University | $1,100,000 | Project's objective is to gain a comprehensive understanding of neutron radiation damage at early stage and its impact on the mechanical deformation of high entropy alloys (HEAs) by employing a combination of mechanical testing, state-of-the-art microstructural characterization, and advanced modeling techniques. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Neutron/Proton Round Robin: What role does irradiation type play in enhancing ordering in Ni-Cr-based alloys? | Oregon State University | $1,000,000 | It has been shown that irradiation can enhance ordering in selected Ni-Cr based alloys via proton and neutron irradiation, however heavy ion irradiation to similar doses did not result in ordering. There is a trade-off between ballistic mixing and enhanced diffusion that may produce flux and cascade size dependent microstructures. This innovative project will be dedicated to uncovering the roles of irradiation-type (neutron and proton) in promoting long-range order in Ni-Cr based alloys. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Characterization of Irradiation-Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking in 316 Stainless Steel Baffle-Former Bolts Harvested from Commercial Pressurized Water Reactor | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $1,100,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the mechanisms for initiation and development of irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) in austenitic stainless steel internal components, baffle-former bolts, harvested from a commercial pressurized water reactor (PWR). Core internal components of PWRs are subjected to high radiation doses, temperatures and corrosive environments. Advance microstructural characterization techniques are used to explain this degradation process. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
*Actual project funding will be established during the award negotiation phase.
FY 2019 Nuclear Science User Facilities Awards
DOE has selected two university-, one national laboratory- and three industry-led projects that will take advantage of NSUF capabilities to investigate important nuclear fuel and material applications. DOE will support three of these projects with a total of $1.5 million in research funds. All six of these projects will be supported by more than $10 million in facility access costs and expertise for experimental neutron and ion irradiation testing, post-irradiation examination facilities, synchrotron beamline capabilities, and technical assistance for design and analysis of experiments through NSUF. In addition, two of the abovementioned NEUP R&D projects will be supported with $3 million in NSUF access funds.
A complete list of NSUF projects with their associated abstracts is available below.
| Title | Institution | Estimated Funding* | Project Description | Abstract | Project Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEUP Project 17-12527: Additive manufacturing of thermal sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement | Boise State University | $500,000 | Researchers will develop and demonstrate an additive manufacturing approach to fabricate nonintrusive and spatially resolved sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement. The team will print thermal conductivity sensors onto fuel components using an aerosol jet printing approach, and study in-pile performance of the printed sensors through irradiation and post-irradiation testing. This research has the potential to establish a new sensor-manufacturing paradigm for the nuclear industry. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12573: Performance of SiC-SiC Cladding and Endplug Joints under Neutron Irradiation with a Thermal Gradient | General Atomics | $450,575 | Researchers will investigate the effects of temperature and thermal gradients on the irradiation performance and stability of joints in silicon carbide (SiC) cladding and endplug geometries. The project will fill a gap in understanding the performance SiC joint performance which will advance the development of accident tolerant fuels. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13004: Capacitive Discharge Resistance Welding of 14YWT for Cladding Applications | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $500,000 | Researchers will join cladding tubes of 14YWT alloy and a ferritic ODS alloy using capacitor-discharge resistance welding (CDRW), a rapid, solid-state welding (SSW) process with very low heat input. The CDRW process is especially well suited for cladding applications. The project will provide a significant advance in the state of the knowledge for joining of 14YWT and ferritic ODS materials, and will permit their broader use with increased confidence. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13050: Correlation between Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Neutron-Irradiated Ferritic-Martensitic and Austenitic Steels | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $390,000 | Researchers will identify correlations between microstructures and mechanical properties of neutron-irradiated advanced ferritic-martensitic and austenitic steels through comprehensive experimental post-irradiation examinations, coupled with thermodynamics, kinetics and microstructural hardening modeling of selected samples that are relevant to Light Water Reactors. Results from other ongoing studies and literature data of similar alloys will be collected and compared to complement the correlations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13073: Radiation Effects on Optical Fiber Sensor Fused Smart Alloy Parts with Graded Alloy Composition Manufactured by Additive Manufacturing Processes | University of Pittsburgh | $500,000 | Researchers will establish the foundation for converging disciplines of multi-functional fiber optic sensors and additive manufacturing for smart part fabrications for nuclear energy applications, especially for in-pile applications. Using advanced laser fabrication techniques, the team will develop both high-temperature stable point sensors and distributed fiber sensors for high spatial resolution measurements in radiation-hardened silica and sapphire fibers. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13007: Irradiation of Advanced Neutron Absorbing Material to Support Accident Tolerant Fuel | AREVA | $- | To provide irradiation and post-irradiation examination program for four neutron absorber materials. The team will evaluate four pellets of each absorber type irradiated to target doses of 1.3 and 2.7 x 1022 n/cm2. Following neutron irradiation, examinations will focus on pellet integrity using optical microscopy and dimensional measurements to characterize irradiation induced swelling. This scope of work will utilize HFIR and hot cells at ORNL. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13088: Improved Understanding of Zircaloy-2 Hydrogen Pickup Mechanism in BWRs | Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. | $- | Researchers will study why Zircaloy-2 material shows high hydrogen pickup and variability in BWR environments by investigating the correlation between the irradiated Zircaloy-2 oxide layer resistivity and hydrogen pickup. The scope of work will include in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements on pre-irradiated channel and water rod samples as well as post-irradiation characterization of the same materials using Transmission Electron Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12976: Study of the Irradiation Behavior of Fast Reactor Mixed Oxide Annular Fuel with Modern Microstructural Characterization to Support Science Based Model Validation | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will grow the available database of post irradiation data available for annular mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel irradiated in fast spectrum reactors by examining irradiated fuel from the FO-2 irradiation. The data collected in this project would be used to validate models currently being developed at the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) for fuel performance models that seek to simulate MOX fuel behavior and will be implemented in BISON. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12849: Simulation of Radiation and Thermal Effects in Advanced Cladding Materials | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will develop atomic scale data on the phase stability and thermo-mechanical properties of FeCrAl accident tolerant cladding under the combined effects of radiation and elevated temperature. The goal is to ultimately provide materials parameters for the MARMOT code and develop predictive physics-based models for the BISON code. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12853: HPC Access to Advance Understanding of Fission Gas Behavior in Nuclear Fuel | University of Tennessee at Knoxville | $- | Researchers will develop high-performance simulation tools to predict fission gas bubble evolution in nuclear fuel. The scope of work in this project includes access to 10 Million CPU hours of high performance computing (HPC) resources each year for 2 years. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 18-14788: Irradiation Testing of Materials Produced by Additive Friction Stir Manufacturing | Aeroprobe | $408,549.00 | Researchers will perform irradiation and post-irradiation examination of materials produced by the MELD manufacturing process (FKA additive friction stir (AFS)) and analogous advanced manufacturing technologies. Compared with other additive manufacturing technique, MELD is much faster, generates a refined equiaxed structure, and does not require the post-manufacturing treatments needed for processes based on melting and solidification. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14749: Irradiation Behavior of Piezoelectric Materials for Nuclear Reactor Sensors | The Ohio State University | $500,000.00 | The objective of this project is to perform a focused investigation of the irradiation behavior of piezoelectric aluminum nitride, a material considered as a highly attractive candidate for ultrasonic sensors in nuclear applications. In previous irradiation tests it has been identified as highly irradiation tolerant. The experiment will be designed to allow measurement of irradiation effects while isolating effects caused by transducer design. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14730: High-performance Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials and Generators for In-pile Power Harvesting | University of Notre Dame | $500,000.00 | This project aims to develop radiation-resistant nanostructured bulk thermoelectric materials and devices for in-pile power harvesting and sensing. The thermoelectric power harvesting technology has crosscutting significance to expand nuclear reactor sensing, instrumentation and offer major cost savings and enhanced safety for all reactor designs & fuel cycle concepts. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 19-16380: High Fluence Active Irradiation and Combined Effects Testing of Sapphire Optical Fiber Distributed Temperature Sensors | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | This project will test and characterize distributed temperature measurements in sapphire optical fiber for high-temperature radiation environments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16297: Irradiation Studies on Electron Beam Welded PM-HIP Pressure Vessel Steel | Purdue University | $500,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the integrity of electron beam (EB) welded powder metallurgy with hot isostatic pressing pressure vessel steel under irradiation. This project will conduct neutron irradiations and post irradiation examination (PIE) on EB. The project will systematically study the effects of composition, heat treatment, and processing on irradiation response. PIE will include microstructure, mechanical, and fracture toughness testing. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16895: Irradiation of Optical Components of In-Situ Laser Spectroscopic Sensors for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Systems | University of Michigan | $500,000 | This project will investigate the effect of radiation damage in optical materials on the operation and performance of laser spectroscopic sensors. Significantly beyond the scope of prior studies, this project will seek to understand the effect of simultaneous radiation damage and annealing on optical materials operated in high-temperature environments, and further evaluate the effect of irradiation on nonlinear optical absorption. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17159: High Power Irradiation Testing of TRISO Fuel Particles with UCO and UO2 Kernels in Miniature Fuel Specimen Capsules in HFIR | Kairos Power LLC | $- | The proposed project is to conduct very high-power TRISO particle irradiations to demonstrate significant performance margin to current Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) tests, where the AGR program irradiations can be applied to near-term operation of a Kairos Power prototype fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR). The proposed test is exploratory in nature, designed to support a long-term advanced FHR design with very high particle powers. The irradiation test will be performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the High Flux Isotope Reactor using the existing miniature fuel specimen capsule. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17109: Integral Fuel Rod Real-Time Wireless Sensor & Transmitter Irradiation Test and Post Irradiation Examination | Westinghouse Electric Co. | $- | Researchers will continue the development of a remotely interrogated (magnetic coupling) in-core wireless sensor embedded within a fuel rod, which is capable of measuring critical parameters such as fuel pellet center line temperature, fuel pellet elongation, fuel rod pressure and neutron flux. The sensor will wirelessly transmit them through the fuel rod cladding and coolant without compromising the structural integrity of the fuel rod. This non-intrusive system would accelerate development of advanced fuel by providing real-time data. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16567: Irradiation-assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking of PWR-irradiated Type 347 Stainless Steel | Westinghouse Electric Company | $- | This project will use material from commercial pressurized water reactor baffle-former bolts (neutron irradiated Type 347 steel), available from previous failure investigations and industry research, to conduct irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking initiation tests under controlled experimental conditions. The research will assess the dependence of this cracking phenomena on radiation damage and reactor water chemistry (potassium hydroxide versus lithium hydroxide). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 20-19172: Irradiation of Sensors and Adhesive Couplants for Application in LWR Primary Loop Piping and Components | $497,881 | Researchers paln to attach ultrasonic transducers to substrates using various adhesive couplants that will be irradiated at elevated temperature to simulate LWR primary loop conditions at the PULSTAR reactor at North Carolina State University. Ultrasonic data will be taken in-situ. Subsequently, the sensors and couplant interfaces will be characterized using the LAMDA facility at ORNL. The results will be used to benefit a parallel EPRI project on online monitoring of cracks in LWR primary loop piping. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 | |
| NEUP Project 20-19128: Machine Learning on High-Throughput Databases of Irradiation Response and Corrosion Properties of Selected Compositionally Complex Alloys for Structural Nuclear Materials | University of Wisconsin-Madison | $500,000 | Researchers will integrate high-throughput synthesis, irradiation, and characterization with atomistic and mesoscale simulation and machine learning to develop understanding and predictive models for irradiation response and corrosion properties of selected alloys. The focus will be on structural Compositionally Complex Alloys (four or more elements in a single-phase solid solution) relevant for high temperature nuclear applications. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19178: Demonstration of Self Powered Neutron Detectors Performance and Reliability | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will demonstrate operation of domestically produced self-powered neutron detectors in the pressurized water loop at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor (MITR) as part of a developmental program to incorporate such sensors into ATR fuels and materials experiments. This ability to point measure flux in ATR experiments in real time will substantially contribute to fulfillment of DOE-NE program objectives. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19163: Synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a separate effect investigation approach | North Carolina State University | $- | Reserachers will investigate the synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a series of separate effect experiments which will look at the effect of irradiation on iron-based systems and nickel-based systems and how radiation damage affect corrosion processes to support Liquid Metal Cooled Reactors and Molten Salt Reactors. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19122: Effect of neutron irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline nickel | North Carolina State University | $- | Researchers will conduct post irradiation examination (PIE) of nanocrystalline and conventional grained nickel that has been irradiated in ATR for 1 and 2 dpa. The PIE involves mechanical and microstrutural characterization using microhardness, tensile, electron backscatter diffraction, optical, tranmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography techniques. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19821: X-ray diffraction tomography analysis of SiC composite tubes neutron-irradiated with a radial high heat flux | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will conduct x-ray diffraction computed tomography analysis at NSLS II at Brookhaven National Laboratory and provide critical data on lattice strain for the response of SiC tubes to neutron irradiation under a temperature gradient. This information will be used to validate and/or improve the thermo-mechanical modeling of SiC/SiC tubes for accident tolerant LWR fuel applications. This experimental result will be compared with simulated lattice strains. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19145: Improving Lifetime Prediction of Electrical Cables in Containment | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Cable degradation accelerates late in the cable's lifetime curve but this phenomena must be validated with experimental data. Researchers will use the Sandia Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF) to expose nuclear cable insulation samples in sealed containers to a series of gamma doses at a series of dose rates. Oxygen concentration of the sealed containers and dielectric properties of the polymer samples will be measured pre- and post-irradiation. Lifetime curves of the insulation will be determined at more extreme accelerated conditions. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 21-24335: Deployment and In-Pile Test of an Instrument for Real-Time Monitoring Thermal Conductivity Evolution of Nuclear Fuels | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | The objective of this proposed project is to deploy a recently developed fiber-optic-based instrument in the MIT Research Reactor to perform in-pile thermal conductivity measurements of fuels and materials. The design of this instrument is based on the photothermal radiometry. In this method, thermal conductivity is measured by locally heating the sample surface and measuring the transient temperature gradient by collecting infrared black-body radiation. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24020: Understanding irradiation behaviors of ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature sensor materials for advanced nuclear reactor systems | North Carolina State University | $500,000 | The project will focus on a systematic study of irradiation effects on emerging ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature and radiation-resistant sensor materials through a series of well-designed neutron irradiation and post-irradiation examination (PIE) experiments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24327: Effect of neutron irradiation on friction stir welded Ni-based ODS MA754 alloy | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $200,000 | Researchers will study the effect of neutron irradiation and friction stir welding (FSW) on Ni-based oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) MA754 to understand the general trend of microstructural evolution and resulting radiation-hardening, in order to develop appropriate processing-structure-property-dose correlations. Efforts will also be made to compare the neutron irradiation performance of ODS and FSW concepts on Ni-base and Fe-base alloys (MA754 vs. MA956). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| Mechanical response and chemical effects at the fuel-cladding interface of HT-9 and metallic fuel | Purdue University | $800,000 | The proposed research will perform advanced post-irradiation examination, including microstructural, thermal, and mechanical characterization, on an accelerated in-pile experiment (FAST - Fission Accelerated Steady-state Test) irradiated U-10Zr fuel rodlets clad in HT-9 with and without Zr liners. Experiments will be complemented with lanthanide diffusion modeling. Results from the experiments and computational studies will be integrated into MARMOT/BISON. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Gamma irradiation effects on the mechanical behavior of seismic protective devices | University at Buffalo | $800,000 | The goal of this project is to investigate the effect of gamma radiation on the mechanical behavior of the seismic protective devices. The project will involve irradiation of these isolators and dampers in the Foss gamma irradiator at INL and performing mechanical testing of the pre-irradiated and post-irradiated specimens in the single-bearing test machine at the University at Buffalo (UB). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Accelerated Irradiation and Evaluation of Ultrastrong and Elastic Glassy Carbon | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | The proposed project will conduct accelerated irradiation and post-irradiation evaluation of ultra-strong and elastic glassy carbon fabricated through our established advanced manufacturing process based on pressure and/or electrical field assisted sintering at moderate temperatures. The objective is to evaluate the irradiation tolerance of advanced glassy carbon fabricated through accelerated irradiation with high-energy carbon and copper ion beams and investigate irradiation-induced changes. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Integrated Effects of Irradiation and Flibe Salt on Fuel Pebble and Structural Graphites for Molten Salt Reactors | Kairos Power | $- | This project will investigate the irradiation response of the Flibe/fuel pebble carbon matrix and Flibe/structural graphite systems with a focus on salt infiltration and its effect on microstructure for molten salt reactor applications. The objectives are to quantify the irradiation-induced changes in Flibe infiltration behavior and quantify the influence of infiltration under irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Irradiation-Corrosion of Alumina-Forming Austenitic Stainless Steels in Static Lead | Purdue University | $0 | This project will investigate the performance of alumina-forming austenitic stainless steels in coupled extremes of neutron irradiation and static lead. The results of this work will inform the extent of liquid metal embrittlement of this leading candidate material for lead fast reactor designs. A novel irradiation-corrosion capsule for miniature tensile specimens will be utilized, and post-irradiation/corrosion examination will include structural, chemical, and mechanical characterizations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| UN multi-design irradiation campaign: a critical assessment of accelerated burnup and main correlations for mechanistic fuel performance modeling | University of Texas at San Antonio | $0 | The objective of this project is to produce a robust array of uranium mononitride (UN) irradiated samples to serve post irradiation examination (PIE) and demonstrate the significant performance margins and safety of UN. The proposing team, which is comprised of fuels experts from the academic, national laboratory, and industry sectors, aims to probe the impact of fabrication impurities and fuel density as a function of both temperature and burn-up. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| Nondestructive Evaluation of Fracture Properties in Irradiated Light Water Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels | Electric Power Institute, Inc. | $0 | The proposed research will utilize sets of utility owned irradiated RPV surveillance samples with variable fluence levels housed at the Westinghouse Churchill Site in Pittsburgh, PA. These sample sets, which have known fracture properties from prior destructive tests, will be utilized to determine if nonstandard nondestructive evaluation methods can be used to characterize fracture properties of reactor pressure vessel steels nondestructively. | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Advanced hydride moderator irradiations for microreactor and space nuclear reactor deployment | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $0 | With the recent signing of Space Policy Directive-6, a US policy goal for micro nuclear reactor and space reactor systems has been designing these systems to utilize low-enriched uranium (LEU) ( | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Radiation Effects of High Entropy Alloys | North Carolina State University | $1,100,000 | Project's objective is to gain a comprehensive understanding of neutron radiation damage at early stage and its impact on the mechanical deformation of high entropy alloys (HEAs) by employing a combination of mechanical testing, state-of-the-art microstructural characterization, and advanced modeling techniques. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Neutron/Proton Round Robin: What role does irradiation type play in enhancing ordering in Ni-Cr-based alloys? | Oregon State University | $1,000,000 | It has been shown that irradiation can enhance ordering in selected Ni-Cr based alloys via proton and neutron irradiation, however heavy ion irradiation to similar doses did not result in ordering. There is a trade-off between ballistic mixing and enhanced diffusion that may produce flux and cascade size dependent microstructures. This innovative project will be dedicated to uncovering the roles of irradiation-type (neutron and proton) in promoting long-range order in Ni-Cr based alloys. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Characterization of Irradiation-Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking in 316 Stainless Steel Baffle-Former Bolts Harvested from Commercial Pressurized Water Reactor | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $1,100,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the mechanisms for initiation and development of irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) in austenitic stainless steel internal components, baffle-former bolts, harvested from a commercial pressurized water reactor (PWR). Core internal components of PWRs are subjected to high radiation doses, temperatures and corrosive environments. Advance microstructural characterization techniques are used to explain this degradation process. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
*Actual project funding will be established during the award negotiation phase.
FY 2018 Nuclear Science User Facilities Awards
Today, the DOE has selected two university and one industry-led projects that will take advantage of NSUF capabilities to investigate important nuclear fuel and material applications. DOE will support these projects with a total of $1.4 million in research funds, and all three of these projects and one NEUP project will be supported by over $5.2 million in facility access costs and expertise for experimental neutron and ion irradiation testing, post-irradiation examination facilities, synchrotron beamline capabilities, and technical assistance for design and analysis of experiments through the NSUF.
A complete list of NSUF projects with their associated abstracts is listed below.
| Title | Institution | Estimated Funding* | Project Description | Abstract | Project Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEUP Project 17-12527: Additive manufacturing of thermal sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement | Boise State University | $500,000 | Researchers will develop and demonstrate an additive manufacturing approach to fabricate nonintrusive and spatially resolved sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement. The team will print thermal conductivity sensors onto fuel components using an aerosol jet printing approach, and study in-pile performance of the printed sensors through irradiation and post-irradiation testing. This research has the potential to establish a new sensor-manufacturing paradigm for the nuclear industry. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12573: Performance of SiC-SiC Cladding and Endplug Joints under Neutron Irradiation with a Thermal Gradient | General Atomics | $450,575 | Researchers will investigate the effects of temperature and thermal gradients on the irradiation performance and stability of joints in silicon carbide (SiC) cladding and endplug geometries. The project will fill a gap in understanding the performance SiC joint performance which will advance the development of accident tolerant fuels. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13004: Capacitive Discharge Resistance Welding of 14YWT for Cladding Applications | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $500,000 | Researchers will join cladding tubes of 14YWT alloy and a ferritic ODS alloy using capacitor-discharge resistance welding (CDRW), a rapid, solid-state welding (SSW) process with very low heat input. The CDRW process is especially well suited for cladding applications. The project will provide a significant advance in the state of the knowledge for joining of 14YWT and ferritic ODS materials, and will permit their broader use with increased confidence. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13050: Correlation between Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Neutron-Irradiated Ferritic-Martensitic and Austenitic Steels | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $390,000 | Researchers will identify correlations between microstructures and mechanical properties of neutron-irradiated advanced ferritic-martensitic and austenitic steels through comprehensive experimental post-irradiation examinations, coupled with thermodynamics, kinetics and microstructural hardening modeling of selected samples that are relevant to Light Water Reactors. Results from other ongoing studies and literature data of similar alloys will be collected and compared to complement the correlations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13073: Radiation Effects on Optical Fiber Sensor Fused Smart Alloy Parts with Graded Alloy Composition Manufactured by Additive Manufacturing Processes | University of Pittsburgh | $500,000 | Researchers will establish the foundation for converging disciplines of multi-functional fiber optic sensors and additive manufacturing for smart part fabrications for nuclear energy applications, especially for in-pile applications. Using advanced laser fabrication techniques, the team will develop both high-temperature stable point sensors and distributed fiber sensors for high spatial resolution measurements in radiation-hardened silica and sapphire fibers. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13007: Irradiation of Advanced Neutron Absorbing Material to Support Accident Tolerant Fuel | AREVA | $- | To provide irradiation and post-irradiation examination program for four neutron absorber materials. The team will evaluate four pellets of each absorber type irradiated to target doses of 1.3 and 2.7 x 1022 n/cm2. Following neutron irradiation, examinations will focus on pellet integrity using optical microscopy and dimensional measurements to characterize irradiation induced swelling. This scope of work will utilize HFIR and hot cells at ORNL. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13088: Improved Understanding of Zircaloy-2 Hydrogen Pickup Mechanism in BWRs | Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. | $- | Researchers will study why Zircaloy-2 material shows high hydrogen pickup and variability in BWR environments by investigating the correlation between the irradiated Zircaloy-2 oxide layer resistivity and hydrogen pickup. The scope of work will include in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements on pre-irradiated channel and water rod samples as well as post-irradiation characterization of the same materials using Transmission Electron Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12976: Study of the Irradiation Behavior of Fast Reactor Mixed Oxide Annular Fuel with Modern Microstructural Characterization to Support Science Based Model Validation | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will grow the available database of post irradiation data available for annular mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel irradiated in fast spectrum reactors by examining irradiated fuel from the FO-2 irradiation. The data collected in this project would be used to validate models currently being developed at the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) for fuel performance models that seek to simulate MOX fuel behavior and will be implemented in BISON. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12849: Simulation of Radiation and Thermal Effects in Advanced Cladding Materials | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will develop atomic scale data on the phase stability and thermo-mechanical properties of FeCrAl accident tolerant cladding under the combined effects of radiation and elevated temperature. The goal is to ultimately provide materials parameters for the MARMOT code and develop predictive physics-based models for the BISON code. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12853: HPC Access to Advance Understanding of Fission Gas Behavior in Nuclear Fuel | University of Tennessee at Knoxville | $- | Researchers will develop high-performance simulation tools to predict fission gas bubble evolution in nuclear fuel. The scope of work in this project includes access to 10 Million CPU hours of high performance computing (HPC) resources each year for 2 years. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 18-14788: Irradiation Testing of Materials Produced by Additive Friction Stir Manufacturing | Aeroprobe | $408,549.00 | Researchers will perform irradiation and post-irradiation examination of materials produced by the MELD manufacturing process (FKA additive friction stir (AFS)) and analogous advanced manufacturing technologies. Compared with other additive manufacturing technique, MELD is much faster, generates a refined equiaxed structure, and does not require the post-manufacturing treatments needed for processes based on melting and solidification. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14749: Irradiation Behavior of Piezoelectric Materials for Nuclear Reactor Sensors | The Ohio State University | $500,000.00 | The objective of this project is to perform a focused investigation of the irradiation behavior of piezoelectric aluminum nitride, a material considered as a highly attractive candidate for ultrasonic sensors in nuclear applications. In previous irradiation tests it has been identified as highly irradiation tolerant. The experiment will be designed to allow measurement of irradiation effects while isolating effects caused by transducer design. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14730: High-performance Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials and Generators for In-pile Power Harvesting | University of Notre Dame | $500,000.00 | This project aims to develop radiation-resistant nanostructured bulk thermoelectric materials and devices for in-pile power harvesting and sensing. The thermoelectric power harvesting technology has crosscutting significance to expand nuclear reactor sensing, instrumentation and offer major cost savings and enhanced safety for all reactor designs & fuel cycle concepts. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 19-16380: High Fluence Active Irradiation and Combined Effects Testing of Sapphire Optical Fiber Distributed Temperature Sensors | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | This project will test and characterize distributed temperature measurements in sapphire optical fiber for high-temperature radiation environments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16297: Irradiation Studies on Electron Beam Welded PM-HIP Pressure Vessel Steel | Purdue University | $500,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the integrity of electron beam (EB) welded powder metallurgy with hot isostatic pressing pressure vessel steel under irradiation. This project will conduct neutron irradiations and post irradiation examination (PIE) on EB. The project will systematically study the effects of composition, heat treatment, and processing on irradiation response. PIE will include microstructure, mechanical, and fracture toughness testing. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16895: Irradiation of Optical Components of In-Situ Laser Spectroscopic Sensors for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Systems | University of Michigan | $500,000 | This project will investigate the effect of radiation damage in optical materials on the operation and performance of laser spectroscopic sensors. Significantly beyond the scope of prior studies, this project will seek to understand the effect of simultaneous radiation damage and annealing on optical materials operated in high-temperature environments, and further evaluate the effect of irradiation on nonlinear optical absorption. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17159: High Power Irradiation Testing of TRISO Fuel Particles with UCO and UO2 Kernels in Miniature Fuel Specimen Capsules in HFIR | Kairos Power LLC | $- | The proposed project is to conduct very high-power TRISO particle irradiations to demonstrate significant performance margin to current Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) tests, where the AGR program irradiations can be applied to near-term operation of a Kairos Power prototype fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR). The proposed test is exploratory in nature, designed to support a long-term advanced FHR design with very high particle powers. The irradiation test will be performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the High Flux Isotope Reactor using the existing miniature fuel specimen capsule. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17109: Integral Fuel Rod Real-Time Wireless Sensor & Transmitter Irradiation Test and Post Irradiation Examination | Westinghouse Electric Co. | $- | Researchers will continue the development of a remotely interrogated (magnetic coupling) in-core wireless sensor embedded within a fuel rod, which is capable of measuring critical parameters such as fuel pellet center line temperature, fuel pellet elongation, fuel rod pressure and neutron flux. The sensor will wirelessly transmit them through the fuel rod cladding and coolant without compromising the structural integrity of the fuel rod. This non-intrusive system would accelerate development of advanced fuel by providing real-time data. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16567: Irradiation-assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking of PWR-irradiated Type 347 Stainless Steel | Westinghouse Electric Company | $- | This project will use material from commercial pressurized water reactor baffle-former bolts (neutron irradiated Type 347 steel), available from previous failure investigations and industry research, to conduct irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking initiation tests under controlled experimental conditions. The research will assess the dependence of this cracking phenomena on radiation damage and reactor water chemistry (potassium hydroxide versus lithium hydroxide). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 20-19172: Irradiation of Sensors and Adhesive Couplants for Application in LWR Primary Loop Piping and Components | $497,881 | Researchers paln to attach ultrasonic transducers to substrates using various adhesive couplants that will be irradiated at elevated temperature to simulate LWR primary loop conditions at the PULSTAR reactor at North Carolina State University. Ultrasonic data will be taken in-situ. Subsequently, the sensors and couplant interfaces will be characterized using the LAMDA facility at ORNL. The results will be used to benefit a parallel EPRI project on online monitoring of cracks in LWR primary loop piping. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 | |
| NEUP Project 20-19128: Machine Learning on High-Throughput Databases of Irradiation Response and Corrosion Properties of Selected Compositionally Complex Alloys for Structural Nuclear Materials | University of Wisconsin-Madison | $500,000 | Researchers will integrate high-throughput synthesis, irradiation, and characterization with atomistic and mesoscale simulation and machine learning to develop understanding and predictive models for irradiation response and corrosion properties of selected alloys. The focus will be on structural Compositionally Complex Alloys (four or more elements in a single-phase solid solution) relevant for high temperature nuclear applications. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19178: Demonstration of Self Powered Neutron Detectors Performance and Reliability | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will demonstrate operation of domestically produced self-powered neutron detectors in the pressurized water loop at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor (MITR) as part of a developmental program to incorporate such sensors into ATR fuels and materials experiments. This ability to point measure flux in ATR experiments in real time will substantially contribute to fulfillment of DOE-NE program objectives. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19163: Synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a separate effect investigation approach | North Carolina State University | $- | Reserachers will investigate the synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a series of separate effect experiments which will look at the effect of irradiation on iron-based systems and nickel-based systems and how radiation damage affect corrosion processes to support Liquid Metal Cooled Reactors and Molten Salt Reactors. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19122: Effect of neutron irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline nickel | North Carolina State University | $- | Researchers will conduct post irradiation examination (PIE) of nanocrystalline and conventional grained nickel that has been irradiated in ATR for 1 and 2 dpa. The PIE involves mechanical and microstrutural characterization using microhardness, tensile, electron backscatter diffraction, optical, tranmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography techniques. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19821: X-ray diffraction tomography analysis of SiC composite tubes neutron-irradiated with a radial high heat flux | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will conduct x-ray diffraction computed tomography analysis at NSLS II at Brookhaven National Laboratory and provide critical data on lattice strain for the response of SiC tubes to neutron irradiation under a temperature gradient. This information will be used to validate and/or improve the thermo-mechanical modeling of SiC/SiC tubes for accident tolerant LWR fuel applications. This experimental result will be compared with simulated lattice strains. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19145: Improving Lifetime Prediction of Electrical Cables in Containment | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Cable degradation accelerates late in the cable's lifetime curve but this phenomena must be validated with experimental data. Researchers will use the Sandia Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF) to expose nuclear cable insulation samples in sealed containers to a series of gamma doses at a series of dose rates. Oxygen concentration of the sealed containers and dielectric properties of the polymer samples will be measured pre- and post-irradiation. Lifetime curves of the insulation will be determined at more extreme accelerated conditions. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 21-24335: Deployment and In-Pile Test of an Instrument for Real-Time Monitoring Thermal Conductivity Evolution of Nuclear Fuels | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | The objective of this proposed project is to deploy a recently developed fiber-optic-based instrument in the MIT Research Reactor to perform in-pile thermal conductivity measurements of fuels and materials. The design of this instrument is based on the photothermal radiometry. In this method, thermal conductivity is measured by locally heating the sample surface and measuring the transient temperature gradient by collecting infrared black-body radiation. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24020: Understanding irradiation behaviors of ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature sensor materials for advanced nuclear reactor systems | North Carolina State University | $500,000 | The project will focus on a systematic study of irradiation effects on emerging ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature and radiation-resistant sensor materials through a series of well-designed neutron irradiation and post-irradiation examination (PIE) experiments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24327: Effect of neutron irradiation on friction stir welded Ni-based ODS MA754 alloy | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $200,000 | Researchers will study the effect of neutron irradiation and friction stir welding (FSW) on Ni-based oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) MA754 to understand the general trend of microstructural evolution and resulting radiation-hardening, in order to develop appropriate processing-structure-property-dose correlations. Efforts will also be made to compare the neutron irradiation performance of ODS and FSW concepts on Ni-base and Fe-base alloys (MA754 vs. MA956). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| Mechanical response and chemical effects at the fuel-cladding interface of HT-9 and metallic fuel | Purdue University | $800,000 | The proposed research will perform advanced post-irradiation examination, including microstructural, thermal, and mechanical characterization, on an accelerated in-pile experiment (FAST - Fission Accelerated Steady-state Test) irradiated U-10Zr fuel rodlets clad in HT-9 with and without Zr liners. Experiments will be complemented with lanthanide diffusion modeling. Results from the experiments and computational studies will be integrated into MARMOT/BISON. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Gamma irradiation effects on the mechanical behavior of seismic protective devices | University at Buffalo | $800,000 | The goal of this project is to investigate the effect of gamma radiation on the mechanical behavior of the seismic protective devices. The project will involve irradiation of these isolators and dampers in the Foss gamma irradiator at INL and performing mechanical testing of the pre-irradiated and post-irradiated specimens in the single-bearing test machine at the University at Buffalo (UB). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Accelerated Irradiation and Evaluation of Ultrastrong and Elastic Glassy Carbon | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | The proposed project will conduct accelerated irradiation and post-irradiation evaluation of ultra-strong and elastic glassy carbon fabricated through our established advanced manufacturing process based on pressure and/or electrical field assisted sintering at moderate temperatures. The objective is to evaluate the irradiation tolerance of advanced glassy carbon fabricated through accelerated irradiation with high-energy carbon and copper ion beams and investigate irradiation-induced changes. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Integrated Effects of Irradiation and Flibe Salt on Fuel Pebble and Structural Graphites for Molten Salt Reactors | Kairos Power | $- | This project will investigate the irradiation response of the Flibe/fuel pebble carbon matrix and Flibe/structural graphite systems with a focus on salt infiltration and its effect on microstructure for molten salt reactor applications. The objectives are to quantify the irradiation-induced changes in Flibe infiltration behavior and quantify the influence of infiltration under irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Irradiation-Corrosion of Alumina-Forming Austenitic Stainless Steels in Static Lead | Purdue University | $0 | This project will investigate the performance of alumina-forming austenitic stainless steels in coupled extremes of neutron irradiation and static lead. The results of this work will inform the extent of liquid metal embrittlement of this leading candidate material for lead fast reactor designs. A novel irradiation-corrosion capsule for miniature tensile specimens will be utilized, and post-irradiation/corrosion examination will include structural, chemical, and mechanical characterizations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| UN multi-design irradiation campaign: a critical assessment of accelerated burnup and main correlations for mechanistic fuel performance modeling | University of Texas at San Antonio | $0 | The objective of this project is to produce a robust array of uranium mononitride (UN) irradiated samples to serve post irradiation examination (PIE) and demonstrate the significant performance margins and safety of UN. The proposing team, which is comprised of fuels experts from the academic, national laboratory, and industry sectors, aims to probe the impact of fabrication impurities and fuel density as a function of both temperature and burn-up. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| Nondestructive Evaluation of Fracture Properties in Irradiated Light Water Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels | Electric Power Institute, Inc. | $0 | The proposed research will utilize sets of utility owned irradiated RPV surveillance samples with variable fluence levels housed at the Westinghouse Churchill Site in Pittsburgh, PA. These sample sets, which have known fracture properties from prior destructive tests, will be utilized to determine if nonstandard nondestructive evaluation methods can be used to characterize fracture properties of reactor pressure vessel steels nondestructively. | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Advanced hydride moderator irradiations for microreactor and space nuclear reactor deployment | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $0 | With the recent signing of Space Policy Directive-6, a US policy goal for micro nuclear reactor and space reactor systems has been designing these systems to utilize low-enriched uranium (LEU) ( | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Radiation Effects of High Entropy Alloys | North Carolina State University | $1,100,000 | Project's objective is to gain a comprehensive understanding of neutron radiation damage at early stage and its impact on the mechanical deformation of high entropy alloys (HEAs) by employing a combination of mechanical testing, state-of-the-art microstructural characterization, and advanced modeling techniques. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Neutron/Proton Round Robin: What role does irradiation type play in enhancing ordering in Ni-Cr-based alloys? | Oregon State University | $1,000,000 | It has been shown that irradiation can enhance ordering in selected Ni-Cr based alloys via proton and neutron irradiation, however heavy ion irradiation to similar doses did not result in ordering. There is a trade-off between ballistic mixing and enhanced diffusion that may produce flux and cascade size dependent microstructures. This innovative project will be dedicated to uncovering the roles of irradiation-type (neutron and proton) in promoting long-range order in Ni-Cr based alloys. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Characterization of Irradiation-Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking in 316 Stainless Steel Baffle-Former Bolts Harvested from Commercial Pressurized Water Reactor | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $1,100,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the mechanisms for initiation and development of irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) in austenitic stainless steel internal components, baffle-former bolts, harvested from a commercial pressurized water reactor (PWR). Core internal components of PWRs are subjected to high radiation doses, temperatures and corrosive environments. Advance microstructural characterization techniques are used to explain this degradation process. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
*Actual project funding will be established during the award negotiation phase.
FY 2017 Nuclear Science User Facilities Awards
Today, the DOE has selected five university, four national laboratory, and five industry-led projects that will take advantage of NSUF capabilities to investigate important nuclear fuel and material applications. DOE will support 6 of these projects with a total of $2.3 million in research funds, and all 14 of these projects will be supported by over $10 million in facility access costs and expertise for experimental neutron and ion irradiation testing, post-irradiation examination facilities, synchrotron beamline capabilities, and technical assistance for design and analysis of experiments through the NSUF.
A complete list of NSUF projects with their associated abstracts is listed below.
| Title | Institution | Estimated Funding* | Project Description | Abstract | Project Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEUP Project 17-12527: Additive manufacturing of thermal sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement | Boise State University | $500,000 | Researchers will develop and demonstrate an additive manufacturing approach to fabricate nonintrusive and spatially resolved sensors for in-pile thermal conductivity measurement. The team will print thermal conductivity sensors onto fuel components using an aerosol jet printing approach, and study in-pile performance of the printed sensors through irradiation and post-irradiation testing. This research has the potential to establish a new sensor-manufacturing paradigm for the nuclear industry. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12573: Performance of SiC-SiC Cladding and Endplug Joints under Neutron Irradiation with a Thermal Gradient | General Atomics | $450,575 | Researchers will investigate the effects of temperature and thermal gradients on the irradiation performance and stability of joints in silicon carbide (SiC) cladding and endplug geometries. The project will fill a gap in understanding the performance SiC joint performance which will advance the development of accident tolerant fuels. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13004: Capacitive Discharge Resistance Welding of 14YWT for Cladding Applications | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $500,000 | Researchers will join cladding tubes of 14YWT alloy and a ferritic ODS alloy using capacitor-discharge resistance welding (CDRW), a rapid, solid-state welding (SSW) process with very low heat input. The CDRW process is especially well suited for cladding applications. The project will provide a significant advance in the state of the knowledge for joining of 14YWT and ferritic ODS materials, and will permit their broader use with increased confidence. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13050: Correlation between Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Neutron-Irradiated Ferritic-Martensitic and Austenitic Steels | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $390,000 | Researchers will identify correlations between microstructures and mechanical properties of neutron-irradiated advanced ferritic-martensitic and austenitic steels through comprehensive experimental post-irradiation examinations, coupled with thermodynamics, kinetics and microstructural hardening modeling of selected samples that are relevant to Light Water Reactors. Results from other ongoing studies and literature data of similar alloys will be collected and compared to complement the correlations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13073: Radiation Effects on Optical Fiber Sensor Fused Smart Alloy Parts with Graded Alloy Composition Manufactured by Additive Manufacturing Processes | University of Pittsburgh | $500,000 | Researchers will establish the foundation for converging disciplines of multi-functional fiber optic sensors and additive manufacturing for smart part fabrications for nuclear energy applications, especially for in-pile applications. Using advanced laser fabrication techniques, the team will develop both high-temperature stable point sensors and distributed fiber sensors for high spatial resolution measurements in radiation-hardened silica and sapphire fibers. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13007: Irradiation of Advanced Neutron Absorbing Material to Support Accident Tolerant Fuel | AREVA | $- | To provide irradiation and post-irradiation examination program for four neutron absorber materials. The team will evaluate four pellets of each absorber type irradiated to target doses of 1.3 and 2.7 x 1022 n/cm2. Following neutron irradiation, examinations will focus on pellet integrity using optical microscopy and dimensional measurements to characterize irradiation induced swelling. This scope of work will utilize HFIR and hot cells at ORNL. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-13088: Improved Understanding of Zircaloy-2 Hydrogen Pickup Mechanism in BWRs | Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. | $- | Researchers will study why Zircaloy-2 material shows high hydrogen pickup and variability in BWR environments by investigating the correlation between the irradiated Zircaloy-2 oxide layer resistivity and hydrogen pickup. The scope of work will include in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements on pre-irradiated channel and water rod samples as well as post-irradiation characterization of the same materials using Transmission Electron Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12976: Study of the Irradiation Behavior of Fast Reactor Mixed Oxide Annular Fuel with Modern Microstructural Characterization to Support Science Based Model Validation | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will grow the available database of post irradiation data available for annular mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel irradiated in fast spectrum reactors by examining irradiated fuel from the FO-2 irradiation. The data collected in this project would be used to validate models currently being developed at the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) for fuel performance models that seek to simulate MOX fuel behavior and will be implemented in BISON. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12849: Simulation of Radiation and Thermal Effects in Advanced Cladding Materials | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will develop atomic scale data on the phase stability and thermo-mechanical properties of FeCrAl accident tolerant cladding under the combined effects of radiation and elevated temperature. The goal is to ultimately provide materials parameters for the MARMOT code and develop predictive physics-based models for the BISON code. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 17-12853: HPC Access to Advance Understanding of Fission Gas Behavior in Nuclear Fuel | University of Tennessee at Knoxville | $- | Researchers will develop high-performance simulation tools to predict fission gas bubble evolution in nuclear fuel. The scope of work in this project includes access to 10 Million CPU hours of high performance computing (HPC) resources each year for 2 years. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2017 |
| NEUP Project 18-14788: Irradiation Testing of Materials Produced by Additive Friction Stir Manufacturing | Aeroprobe | $408,549.00 | Researchers will perform irradiation and post-irradiation examination of materials produced by the MELD manufacturing process (FKA additive friction stir (AFS)) and analogous advanced manufacturing technologies. Compared with other additive manufacturing technique, MELD is much faster, generates a refined equiaxed structure, and does not require the post-manufacturing treatments needed for processes based on melting and solidification. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14749: Irradiation Behavior of Piezoelectric Materials for Nuclear Reactor Sensors | The Ohio State University | $500,000.00 | The objective of this project is to perform a focused investigation of the irradiation behavior of piezoelectric aluminum nitride, a material considered as a highly attractive candidate for ultrasonic sensors in nuclear applications. In previous irradiation tests it has been identified as highly irradiation tolerant. The experiment will be designed to allow measurement of irradiation effects while isolating effects caused by transducer design. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 18-14730: High-performance Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials and Generators for In-pile Power Harvesting | University of Notre Dame | $500,000.00 | This project aims to develop radiation-resistant nanostructured bulk thermoelectric materials and devices for in-pile power harvesting and sensing. The thermoelectric power harvesting technology has crosscutting significance to expand nuclear reactor sensing, instrumentation and offer major cost savings and enhanced safety for all reactor designs & fuel cycle concepts. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2018 |
| NEUP Project 19-16380: High Fluence Active Irradiation and Combined Effects Testing of Sapphire Optical Fiber Distributed Temperature Sensors | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | This project will test and characterize distributed temperature measurements in sapphire optical fiber for high-temperature radiation environments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16297: Irradiation Studies on Electron Beam Welded PM-HIP Pressure Vessel Steel | Purdue University | $500,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the integrity of electron beam (EB) welded powder metallurgy with hot isostatic pressing pressure vessel steel under irradiation. This project will conduct neutron irradiations and post irradiation examination (PIE) on EB. The project will systematically study the effects of composition, heat treatment, and processing on irradiation response. PIE will include microstructure, mechanical, and fracture toughness testing. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16895: Irradiation of Optical Components of In-Situ Laser Spectroscopic Sensors for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Systems | University of Michigan | $500,000 | This project will investigate the effect of radiation damage in optical materials on the operation and performance of laser spectroscopic sensors. Significantly beyond the scope of prior studies, this project will seek to understand the effect of simultaneous radiation damage and annealing on optical materials operated in high-temperature environments, and further evaluate the effect of irradiation on nonlinear optical absorption. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17159: High Power Irradiation Testing of TRISO Fuel Particles with UCO and UO2 Kernels in Miniature Fuel Specimen Capsules in HFIR | Kairos Power LLC | $- | The proposed project is to conduct very high-power TRISO particle irradiations to demonstrate significant performance margin to current Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) tests, where the AGR program irradiations can be applied to near-term operation of a Kairos Power prototype fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR). The proposed test is exploratory in nature, designed to support a long-term advanced FHR design with very high particle powers. The irradiation test will be performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the High Flux Isotope Reactor using the existing miniature fuel specimen capsule. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-17109: Integral Fuel Rod Real-Time Wireless Sensor & Transmitter Irradiation Test and Post Irradiation Examination | Westinghouse Electric Co. | $- | Researchers will continue the development of a remotely interrogated (magnetic coupling) in-core wireless sensor embedded within a fuel rod, which is capable of measuring critical parameters such as fuel pellet center line temperature, fuel pellet elongation, fuel rod pressure and neutron flux. The sensor will wirelessly transmit them through the fuel rod cladding and coolant without compromising the structural integrity of the fuel rod. This non-intrusive system would accelerate development of advanced fuel by providing real-time data. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 19-16567: Irradiation-assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking of PWR-irradiated Type 347 Stainless Steel | Westinghouse Electric Company | $- | This project will use material from commercial pressurized water reactor baffle-former bolts (neutron irradiated Type 347 steel), available from previous failure investigations and industry research, to conduct irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking initiation tests under controlled experimental conditions. The research will assess the dependence of this cracking phenomena on radiation damage and reactor water chemistry (potassium hydroxide versus lithium hydroxide). | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2019 |
| NEUP Project 20-19172: Irradiation of Sensors and Adhesive Couplants for Application in LWR Primary Loop Piping and Components | $497,881 | Researchers paln to attach ultrasonic transducers to substrates using various adhesive couplants that will be irradiated at elevated temperature to simulate LWR primary loop conditions at the PULSTAR reactor at North Carolina State University. Ultrasonic data will be taken in-situ. Subsequently, the sensors and couplant interfaces will be characterized using the LAMDA facility at ORNL. The results will be used to benefit a parallel EPRI project on online monitoring of cracks in LWR primary loop piping. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 | |
| NEUP Project 20-19128: Machine Learning on High-Throughput Databases of Irradiation Response and Corrosion Properties of Selected Compositionally Complex Alloys for Structural Nuclear Materials | University of Wisconsin-Madison | $500,000 | Researchers will integrate high-throughput synthesis, irradiation, and characterization with atomistic and mesoscale simulation and machine learning to develop understanding and predictive models for irradiation response and corrosion properties of selected alloys. The focus will be on structural Compositionally Complex Alloys (four or more elements in a single-phase solid solution) relevant for high temperature nuclear applications. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19178: Demonstration of Self Powered Neutron Detectors Performance and Reliability | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will demonstrate operation of domestically produced self-powered neutron detectors in the pressurized water loop at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor (MITR) as part of a developmental program to incorporate such sensors into ATR fuels and materials experiments. This ability to point measure flux in ATR experiments in real time will substantially contribute to fulfillment of DOE-NE program objectives. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19163: Synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a separate effect investigation approach | North Carolina State University | $- | Reserachers will investigate the synergy of radiation damage with corrosion processes through a series of separate effect experiments which will look at the effect of irradiation on iron-based systems and nickel-based systems and how radiation damage affect corrosion processes to support Liquid Metal Cooled Reactors and Molten Salt Reactors. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19122: Effect of neutron irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline nickel | North Carolina State University | $- | Researchers will conduct post irradiation examination (PIE) of nanocrystalline and conventional grained nickel that has been irradiated in ATR for 1 and 2 dpa. The PIE involves mechanical and microstrutural characterization using microhardness, tensile, electron backscatter diffraction, optical, tranmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography techniques. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19821: X-ray diffraction tomography analysis of SiC composite tubes neutron-irradiated with a radial high heat flux | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $- | Researchers will conduct x-ray diffraction computed tomography analysis at NSLS II at Brookhaven National Laboratory and provide critical data on lattice strain for the response of SiC tubes to neutron irradiation under a temperature gradient. This information will be used to validate and/or improve the thermo-mechanical modeling of SiC/SiC tubes for accident tolerant LWR fuel applications. This experimental result will be compared with simulated lattice strains. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 20-19145: Improving Lifetime Prediction of Electrical Cables in Containment | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $- | Cable degradation accelerates late in the cable's lifetime curve but this phenomena must be validated with experimental data. Researchers will use the Sandia Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF) to expose nuclear cable insulation samples in sealed containers to a series of gamma doses at a series of dose rates. Oxygen concentration of the sealed containers and dielectric properties of the polymer samples will be measured pre- and post-irradiation. Lifetime curves of the insulation will be determined at more extreme accelerated conditions. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2020 |
| NEUP Project 21-24335: Deployment and In-Pile Test of an Instrument for Real-Time Monitoring Thermal Conductivity Evolution of Nuclear Fuels | Idaho National Laboratory | $500,000 | The objective of this proposed project is to deploy a recently developed fiber-optic-based instrument in the MIT Research Reactor to perform in-pile thermal conductivity measurements of fuels and materials. The design of this instrument is based on the photothermal radiometry. In this method, thermal conductivity is measured by locally heating the sample surface and measuring the transient temperature gradient by collecting infrared black-body radiation. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24020: Understanding irradiation behaviors of ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature sensor materials for advanced nuclear reactor systems | North Carolina State University | $500,000 | The project will focus on a systematic study of irradiation effects on emerging ultrawide bandgap Ga2O3 high temperature and radiation-resistant sensor materials through a series of well-designed neutron irradiation and post-irradiation examination (PIE) experiments. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| NEUP Project 21-24327: Effect of neutron irradiation on friction stir welded Ni-based ODS MA754 alloy | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | $200,000 | Researchers will study the effect of neutron irradiation and friction stir welding (FSW) on Ni-based oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) MA754 to understand the general trend of microstructural evolution and resulting radiation-hardening, in order to develop appropriate processing-structure-property-dose correlations. Efforts will also be made to compare the neutron irradiation performance of ODS and FSW concepts on Ni-base and Fe-base alloys (MA754 vs. MA956). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2021 |
| Mechanical response and chemical effects at the fuel-cladding interface of HT-9 and metallic fuel | Purdue University | $800,000 | The proposed research will perform advanced post-irradiation examination, including microstructural, thermal, and mechanical characterization, on an accelerated in-pile experiment (FAST - Fission Accelerated Steady-state Test) irradiated U-10Zr fuel rodlets clad in HT-9 with and without Zr liners. Experiments will be complemented with lanthanide diffusion modeling. Results from the experiments and computational studies will be integrated into MARMOT/BISON. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Gamma irradiation effects on the mechanical behavior of seismic protective devices | University at Buffalo | $800,000 | The goal of this project is to investigate the effect of gamma radiation on the mechanical behavior of the seismic protective devices. The project will involve irradiation of these isolators and dampers in the Foss gamma irradiator at INL and performing mechanical testing of the pre-irradiated and post-irradiated specimens in the single-bearing test machine at the University at Buffalo (UB). | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2022 |
| Accelerated Irradiation and Evaluation of Ultrastrong and Elastic Glassy Carbon | Idaho National Laboratory | $- | The proposed project will conduct accelerated irradiation and post-irradiation evaluation of ultra-strong and elastic glassy carbon fabricated through our established advanced manufacturing process based on pressure and/or electrical field assisted sintering at moderate temperatures. The objective is to evaluate the irradiation tolerance of advanced glassy carbon fabricated through accelerated irradiation with high-energy carbon and copper ion beams and investigate irradiation-induced changes. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Integrated Effects of Irradiation and Flibe Salt on Fuel Pebble and Structural Graphites for Molten Salt Reactors | Kairos Power | $- | This project will investigate the irradiation response of the Flibe/fuel pebble carbon matrix and Flibe/structural graphite systems with a focus on salt infiltration and its effect on microstructure for molten salt reactor applications. The objectives are to quantify the irradiation-induced changes in Flibe infiltration behavior and quantify the influence of infiltration under irradiation on microstructure and mechanical properties. | Document | NSUF Access Only | FY2022 |
| Irradiation-Corrosion of Alumina-Forming Austenitic Stainless Steels in Static Lead | Purdue University | $0 | This project will investigate the performance of alumina-forming austenitic stainless steels in coupled extremes of neutron irradiation and static lead. The results of this work will inform the extent of liquid metal embrittlement of this leading candidate material for lead fast reactor designs. A novel irradiation-corrosion capsule for miniature tensile specimens will be utilized, and post-irradiation/corrosion examination will include structural, chemical, and mechanical characterizations. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| UN multi-design irradiation campaign: a critical assessment of accelerated burnup and main correlations for mechanistic fuel performance modeling | University of Texas at San Antonio | $0 | The objective of this project is to produce a robust array of uranium mononitride (UN) irradiated samples to serve post irradiation examination (PIE) and demonstrate the significant performance margins and safety of UN. The proposing team, which is comprised of fuels experts from the academic, national laboratory, and industry sectors, aims to probe the impact of fabrication impurities and fuel density as a function of both temperature and burn-up. | Document | Joint R&D with NSUF Access | FY2023 |
| Nondestructive Evaluation of Fracture Properties in Irradiated Light Water Reactor Pressure Vessel Steels | Electric Power Institute, Inc. | $0 | The proposed research will utilize sets of utility owned irradiated RPV surveillance samples with variable fluence levels housed at the Westinghouse Churchill Site in Pittsburgh, PA. These sample sets, which have known fracture properties from prior destructive tests, will be utilized to determine if nonstandard nondestructive evaluation methods can be used to characterize fracture properties of reactor pressure vessel steels nondestructively. | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Advanced hydride moderator irradiations for microreactor and space nuclear reactor deployment | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $0 | With the recent signing of Space Policy Directive-6, a US policy goal for micro nuclear reactor and space reactor systems has been designing these systems to utilize low-enriched uranium (LEU) ( | Document | Access Only | FY2024 |
| Radiation Effects of High Entropy Alloys | North Carolina State University | $1,100,000 | Project's objective is to gain a comprehensive understanding of neutron radiation damage at early stage and its impact on the mechanical deformation of high entropy alloys (HEAs) by employing a combination of mechanical testing, state-of-the-art microstructural characterization, and advanced modeling techniques. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Neutron/Proton Round Robin: What role does irradiation type play in enhancing ordering in Ni-Cr-based alloys? | Oregon State University | $1,000,000 | It has been shown that irradiation can enhance ordering in selected Ni-Cr based alloys via proton and neutron irradiation, however heavy ion irradiation to similar doses did not result in ordering. There is a trade-off between ballistic mixing and enhanced diffusion that may produce flux and cascade size dependent microstructures. This innovative project will be dedicated to uncovering the roles of irradiation-type (neutron and proton) in promoting long-range order in Ni-Cr based alloys. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
| Characterization of Irradiation-Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking in 316 Stainless Steel Baffle-Former Bolts Harvested from Commercial Pressurized Water Reactor | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $1,100,000 | The objective of this project is to assess the mechanisms for initiation and development of irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) in austenitic stainless steel internal components, baffle-former bolts, harvested from a commercial pressurized water reactor (PWR). Core internal components of PWRs are subjected to high radiation doses, temperatures and corrosive environments. Advance microstructural characterization techniques are used to explain this degradation process. | Document | Access with Research and Development Support | FY2024 |
*Actual project funding will be established during the award negotiation phase.
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