US lab heats up advanced nuclear reactor fuel testing for critical performance

Lightbridge Corporation has initiated irradiation testing of its enriched uranium-zirconium alloy fuel samples at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) within Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This marks a critical transition from manufacturing to active performance evaluation under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with INL. The testing aims to gather essential data on the fuel alloy’s microstructural changes and thermal conductivity as a function of burnup, which are key parameters for qualifying and licensing the fuel for commercial nuclear reactor use. Throughout the campaign, irradiated samples will be periodically extracted for post-irradiation examination at INL to assess the fuel’s behavior over time. This detailed analysis will validate the thermo-mechanical properties of the fuel alloy and support Lightbridge’s goal of deploying the advanced fuel in existing and new water-cooled reactors. The testing follows successful prior technical milestones, including the co-extrusion manufacturing process of the fuel samples, which involved encasing a uranium-zirconium billet within zirconium alloy cladding