BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT) today announced a significant milestone in its capability to manufacture an advanced form of TRISO nuclear fuel, poised to power the next generation of advanced reactors. TRISO fuel, characterized by its robust layers of carbon and silicon encasing a uranium fuel kernel, represents a critical advancement in nuclear energy technology.
The company's Advanced Technologies subsidiary recently completed the installation and rigorous testing of a chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) furnace. This specialized equipment solidifies the pre-forms that are filled with TRISO particles, completing the necessary infrastructure to execute BWXT’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) project in collaboration with the Department of Energy (DOE).
With the integration of this new CVI furnace, alongside its existing TRISO manufacturing line, a previously commissioned binder jet for additive manufacturing, and crucially, a computed tomography (CT) scanner for non-destructive testing (NDT), BWXT can now load Uranium Nitride TRISO into additively manufactured fuel forms. This innovative process yields a nuclear fuel product with a higher mass of uranium per unit volume than traditional TRISO compacts. The newly developed fuel is designed to be more cost-effective and offer a longer reactor lifespan, potentially reducing overall reactor system costs. The use of the CT scanner for NDT is vital for ensuring the integrity and quality of these complex fuel geometries.
“Our advanced capability to manufacture TRISO fuel in multiple forms and shapes at scale will play an important role in enabling the small modular reactor and advanced microreactor market to flourish,” stated Kate Kelly, president of BWXT Advanced Technologies. “We’re proud to be working with DOE to diversify and optimize our TRISO fuel manufacturing capabilities as part of our ARDP scope and, more broadly, ensure the success of America’s growing advanced nuclear industry.”
Mike Goff, acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, commented, “DOE's support of BWXT's microreactor design and TRISO fuel manufacturing capabilities is a great example of how we are working hand-in-hand with industry to re-establish the United States as a global leader in nuclear energy. I’m excited to see this work progress and look forward to BWXT’s future accomplishments.”
BWXT’s established TRISO manufacturing line currently produces Uranium Oxy Carbide (UCO) TRISO for Project Pele, the Department of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office demonstration microreactor program, as well as UN TRISO for the ARDP scope. BWXT plans to ramp up TRISO manufacturing to support its BWXT Advanced Nuclear Reactor (BANR) program and meet the growing market demand from other TRISO users. The existing fuel manufacturing line, combined with these new capabilities—including the critical NDT capabilities provided by the CT scanner—allows BWXT to manufacture diverse forms of TRISO particles (UN or UCO with varying layer thickness), traditional compacts, or chemically densified complex geometries filled with TRISO particles, along with the resulting digital twins, which are essential for supporting rigorous fuel qualification efforts.
