X-energy’s TRISO-X team was selected following a competitively bid process to produce fuel for Idaho National Lab’s (INL) Space Nuclear Program.
X-energy’s TRISO-X Fuel Team Selected to Produce Fuel for Idaho National Lab’s Space Nuclear Program
X-energy’s TRISO-X team was selected following a competitively bid process to produce fuel for Idaho National Lab’s (INL) Space Nuclear Program. X-energy’s TRISO-X Space Nuclear Propulsion coated particle fuel fabrication demonstration will help show that kernels of a given chemistry and coatings can be successfully produced at commercial scale and within given manufacturing specifications.
“This INL/NASA Space Fuel work dovetails well with our on-going space nuclear work under our existing DOD fuel fabrication activities and compliments our work on stationary power fuel, such as spherical pebbles for the Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR),” said Dr. Pete Pappano, President of TRISO-X.
X-energy’s proprietary TRi-structural ISOtropic particle fuel (TRISO-X) consists of thousands of kernels of high-assay low-enriched uranium, each the size of a poppy seed and wrapped in alternating layers of pyrolytic carbon and either silicon carbide (SiC) or zirconium carbide (ZrC), with ZrC more favorable for higher temperature applications, such as space nuclear. TRISO-X’s talented employees represent some of the most innovative nuclear fuel fabricators in the world who are continuously improving coated particle fuel fabrication techniques and efficiencies. TRISO-X’s team of 40 employees are solely focused on advancing the production of TRISO-X fuel via cutting edge fabrication techniques and the design and licensing of the state-of-the-art coated particle based TRISO-X Fuel Fabrication Facility.
“We have taken every step in the process and questioned the historical fabrication decisions of them. If we were told ‘that’s how it’s always been done’, we looked deeper to understand at a fundamental level what is happening,” said Dr. Dan Brown, Director, Fuel Fabrication at TRISO-X, “This has allowed TRISO-X to bring a science-based approach to coated particle fuel fabrication and understand exactly why things happen, versus that they happen.”
“We employ some of the best and brightest to have worked on coated particle fuel. The result is higher yields and higher quality fuel,” said Dr. Pappano “Our team’s selection is continued confirmation of the progress we’ve made in novel nuclear fuel development for both commercial terrestrial and government-sponsored space applications.”
About X-energy
X-energy is redefining nuclear energy. It manufactures fuel that seals uranium particles in a protective coating, which makes meltdown impossible and retains the waste inside forever. X-energy also designs plants that unlock the fuel's potential in a process that's as clean as wind or solar. When combined, the result is reliable carbon-free baseload power, produced more safely and affordably than ever before and available anywhere, at any time. For more information, visit https://x-energy.com/ or connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.
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