Four lead test assemblies with 3D-printed bottom nozzles are undergoing testing in the US at Alabama Power’s Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant operated by Southern Nuclear. The assemblies, manufactured by Westinghouse, were delivered to the plant in the first quarter of 2024.
Debris-wearing action on the fuel rod cladding (debris fretting) is the main source of leaks in pressurised water reactor (PWR) fuel assemblies. Westinghouse says additive manufacturing (AM) technology significantly improves debris filtering by reducing the diameter of debris that can enter into the reactor. In testing, the AM components demonstrated a 30% improvement in debris resistance.
“Over the past decade, Southern Nuclear has led the industry in the development and implementation of new technologies that improve fuel resiliency,” said Southern Nuclear President Pete Sena. “We are innovating nuclear fuel today to be more robust in order to deliver safer, more affordable and more reliable carbon-free clean nuclear power for decades to come.”
Westinghouse President of Nuclear Fuel Tarik Choho said AM technology “is allowing us to achieve breakthrough performance with an immediate positive impact for our customers”. He added: “This significant technology innovation for PWR reactors mitigates the risk of leakage in the fuel rods due to the accumulation of debris, strengthening the safety and efficiency of our customers’ operations.”
In 2015, Westinghouse conducted the first material irradiation study of AM nuclear components. In 2020, Westinghouse installed the first safety-related AM component, a Thimble Plugging Device, the unit 1 reactor at Exelon’s Byron NPP in Illinois. In 2024 Westinghouse says it produced the 1,000th additive manufacturing component for VVER-440 Fuel.
In 2022, Westinghouse installed its StrongHold AM 3D-printed nuclear fuel debris filters in two boiling water reactor (BWR) units – Olkiluoto 2 in Finland, and Oskarshamn 3 in Sweden.The StrongHold AM filter was developed in close cooperation with plant operators Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) and OKG.
