Advanced Affordable Technologies For Nuclear Applications

This proposal provides Processing Innovations from AMSENG for affordable low-cost processing of the industrially important Boron (B11) based Nano Structures: The emphasis at AMSENG has been on High Thermal Conductivity exhibiting BNNT-BNNMÖ, h-BN, and the Black DiamondÖ - RadHard Cubic Boron Arsenide (B11As). It reviews the recent developments at AMSENG for processing these boron structures with the use of selected precursors and its further processing for engineering the Effective High thermal conductivity of composites. The proposal briefly reviews processing achievements and for its further use towards the value added use for the Thermal Conductivity tailoring goals, and derives the work statement for the phase I feasibility study to suggest the investigations in materials and processing and its use in Advanced Accident Tolerant Nuclear Fuels and Cladding Material Systems for the Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) Material Systems components, and for the Advanced Shielding Applications for the sensitive sensors and the robotics that requires the advanced smart Thermal Management solutions in such Applications. Numerical Experiments for addressing the safe use needs of the High Thermal Conductivity of Nuclear Fuels are also proposed to understand the safe limits of Effective Thermal Conductivity Tailoring. The Brief IR&D efforts carried out in recent past for the possible scaled up manufacturing of the high quality the B11As based RadHard Black DiamondÖ with B11 for their application towards the thermal Conductivity tailoring are reviewed here to suggest small additional efforts based on B11 based processing developments and possible unique applications developments for the Advanced Shielding concepts for the delicate sensors and robotic challenges faced in very high radiation environments. The IR&D results available at AMSENG can be uniquely leveraged for its insertion in various applications and are excellent illustration for the further developments for designing the engineered material systems for various energy management system Challenges. Limitations on incorporation of the high thermal conductivity materials in ATF also need to have limits per the recent reviews and concerns expressed by NRC Engineers and the Safety Consultants per the possible changes in the transient behavior and possible accidental progression. We note that the subject of the transient behavior of the Thermal Conductivity Enhanced ATF also has received limited attention in the efforts carried out till date. The team of AMSENG Engineers headed by Dr. Majumadar - who has recently joined AMSENG plan to address this need and a small effort is also proposed to carry out required numerical experiments to understand the effects of the enhanced thermal conductivity performance and if feasible efforts to define upper limits of the effective thermal conductivity - when transients are important. The study of the transients can guide us for the further possible safety analysis. The AMSENG team seeks support from the DOE's SBIR-STTR office and the possible guidance to develop the tailored high Effective RadHard Thermal conductivity processing technologies to produce unique Boron Nano B11 based Tailored Microstructure products that can be applied in various high radiation environments for the thermal management component engineering. The Concept applications to Nuclear Fuels can be undertaken with DOE's COTR guidance and possibly also through referral by Lockheed Martin Corporation - BWX Technologies (Nuclear Fuels Manufacturer - Provider) Alliance for the advanced applications. The success in the feasibility studies can also help us to plan more focused Phased II tasks that can be application oriented, with possible involvement of the DOE National Labs and various important industrial partners in the Energy sector.