Table of Contents
Fuel Fabrication
Fuel Fabrication is the final stage of the front-end of the fuel cycle. In this stage, the uranium metal or uranium dioxide is transformed into its final form – a fuel rod, typically up to four metres long, ready to be used in a nuclear reactor.
The cladding around the fuel rod is really important. It captures highly radioactive fission products! It is important that the material used to form the cladding is relatively transparent to neutrons – to mitigate degradation.
How is fuel fabrication carried out?
Forming
Step 1: Forming
Sintering
Step 2: Sintering
Assembly
Step 3: Assembly
Where is fuel fabrication carried out?
What happens in the UK?
What happens in the UK?
Did you know?
Within a fuel fabrication facility, there are careful controls to avoid an unintended criticality incident (like happened in Tokaimura in 1997). The facility will also be inspected by safeguards personnel from the nuclear regulator for accountancy purposes – keeping track of what uranium is where and at what enrichment.
Adam Piatt
