Driving nuclear innovation through stronger material insights.
ORNL's Nuclear Fuel Element Performance (NFEP) Group investigates how fuels and structural materials behave after irradiation in a nuclear reactor.
From the transformations at the atomic level to the full component scale, the NFEP group evaluates data to advance nuclear material qualification and fuel performance modeling.
This research supports decision-makers and developers including commercial vendors, advanced reactor developers, and U.S. federal agencies, ensuring the reactors of today and tomorrow are fueled with precision and confidence.
Evaluating materials for the reactors of today and tomorrow
NFEP explores how irradiation and post-irradiation conditions affect fuel and fuel components in currently operating and advanced reactors. Research areas span from conventional uranium oxide fuel and zircaloy cladding to accident-tolerant fuels designed to enhance reactor safety to advanced structural alloys for high-performance, next-generation systems.
Supporting national priorities through collaboration
NFEP works closely with industry partners, across several key initiatives DOE’s Advanced Fuels Campaign, the Nuclear Science User Facilities, and the Light Water Reactor Sustainability initiative. The group specifically supports the accident tolerant fuel research through partnerships with Westinghouse, Global Nuclear Fuel, and Framatome, and is involved in several Advanced Reactor Demonstration projects ARDP supporting performance evaluation for new reactor designs, with TerraPower, Kairos Power, and BWXT.
Specialized tools and facilities
The group uses ORNL’s high-containment laboratories and advanced instrumentation to examine irradiated materials. Key capabilities include:
- Hot-cell facilities, which support detailed examination of irradiated fuels and components under safe, shielded conditions
- Severe Accident Test Station, a novel capability unique to ORNL that can simulates loss-of-coolant accident conditions and measure fission gas release
- In-situ mechanical testing with electron back scatter diffraction to monitor stress and microstructure during real-time deformation of irradiated materials
- Microscopy and spectroscopy tools: Analyze materials from nanoscale to macrostructure
The NFEP team continues to deliver results that shape the future of fuel safety and performance:
- First Loss-of-Coolant Accident Test on Irradiated Accident Tolerant Fuels: Collaborated with Westinghouse to test chromium-coated zirconium alloy fuel under simulated accident conditions
- Evaluation of Irradiated Boiling Water Reactor Fuel: Worked with Global Nuclear Fuel to complete non-destructive testing on commercial boiling water reactor rods
- Zirconium Alloy Comparison Studies: Compared mechanical properties of zirconium alloys irradiated in HFIR and commercial reactors against unirradiated alloys
- MiniFuel Recovery and Testing: Completed first testing of uranium nitride (UN) kernel and UN-TRISO fuels after extended irradiation
- Advanced Alloy Testing: Completed HFIR irradiations and mechanical testing of new iron-chromium-aluminum alloys designed for strength and corrosion resistance
Advancing the future of nuclear materials
The NFEP Group is a leading partner in conducting high-impact science that supports fuel and materials development that will support United States as a global leader in nuclear energy.
Through continued innovation and collaboration, the group is providing the crucial data for accelerated fuel and materials qualification and through improved understanding of material behavior across reactor conditions and supporting licensing pathways for emerging reactor designs,