‘Innovative’ fuel will be key to continued operation
French nuclear company Framatome and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have signed a cooperation agreement to establish the industrial production of molybdenum-uranium (U-Mo) monolithic fuel for the TUM-operated Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) research reactor near Munich in Germany.
Framatome said this low-enriched uranium fuel will benefit from the highest uranium fuel density ever realised in Europe for research reactor operations.
Framatome, in cooperation with TUM, developed the key steps of the manufacturing process for a high-quality U-Mo fuel, including the manufacturing of small-scale prototypes. The two organisations established a qualification procedure and installed a pilot line at Framatome’s research facility in Romans-sur-Isère, southeastern France.
“This innovative fuel will be key to the continued operation of the FRM II reactor in the long-term, a reactor essential for understanding and interpreting the structure of matter and supplying neutrons to industry and the scientific community,” Framatome said.
The FRM II research reactor currently uses highly enriched uranium fuel to generate a dense neutron flux for scientific experiments and the production of medical radioisotopes.
Several years ago, TUM began a programme to explore the feasibility of a fuel based on low-enriched uranium while maintaining the performance of the reactor.
Framatome said the high uranium fuel density of the monolithic U-Mo fuel allows the reactor to maintain its high level of performance with low enriched uranium. The first U-Mo foils were manufactured in 2022. Irradiation of the first monolithic U-Mo fuel plate prototype is scheduled for late 2024.
FRM II is a research reactor and neutron source. It is optimised for neutron scattering experiments that are fundamental to areas such as materials research. It also produces radioisotopes needed for medical diagnostics and cancer treatments.
