CERAMIC FUEL CLADDING FOR INNOVATIVE REACTORS WITH ACCIDENT-TOLERANT FUEL

SSiC cladding of fuel elements opens new promising solutions for innovative reactors:

• Coolant outlet temperatures up to 1000 °C and more for hydrogen production are desirable.
• Aggressive coolants can be seawater – an important safety aspect of reactors for desalination in floating units – or molten salts in reactors with liquid fuel and/or liquid coolant.
• Economical considerations demand fuel for deep burn

On the basis of innovative materials and technologies new fuel elements must be developed which

• permit core outlet temperatures up to 1000 °C  and preferably higher
• permit deep fuel-burn-up
• permit the maximum fuel temperature to reach 1800 °C in case of accidents
• tolerate aggressive coolants.