Automated optical microscopy of coated particle fuel

Andrew K. Kercher; John D. Hunn; Jeffery R. Price; Pete Pappano

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2008.07.011

Automated optical microscopy of coated particle fuel

Andrew K. Kercher, John D. Hunn, Jeffery R. Price, Pete Pappano

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fundamental technological advances have occurred during the 20 year hiatus in US research on coated particle nuclear fuel. As part of the recent US Department of Energy's Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification program, Oak Ridge National Laboratory has utilized advancements in computer automation, digital imaging, and image analysis to modernize US optical microscopy techniques for coated particle nuclear fuel. Automated optical microscopy has enabled detailed and objective analysis of individual particles (hundreds of measurements per particle) and of large sample sizes that far exceed the capabilities of conventional manual microscopy methods (analysis of 1500-5000 particles is common). Demonstrative examples of the capabilities of this automated optical microscopy are given for: (a) shadow imaging of kernels, coated fuel particles, and graphite matrix overcoated particles and (b) cross-sectional analysis of coated fuel particles to determine layer thicknesses.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	76-84
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Nuclear Materials
Volume	380
Issue number	1-3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2008.07.011
State	Published - Oct 15 2008

Funding

Research was sponsored by the US-DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology’s Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification program and by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC for the US Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-ACO5-00OR22725. All TRISO-coated particles discussed in this work were produced by Richard A. Lowden. Laboratory work by Ivan Dunbar, Deniz B. Aykac, and Andy Nelson contributed to the data collection and mount preparation included in this manuscript. All NUCO and LEUCO kernels used in this research were produced by Babcock and Wilcox Company in Lynchburg, Va.

Funders	Funder number
US-DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology’s Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification program
U.S. Department of Energy	DE-ACO5-00OR22725
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
UT-Battelle

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10.1016/j.jnucmat.2008.07.011

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title = "Automated optical microscopy of coated particle fuel",

abstract = "Fundamental technological advances have occurred during the 20 year hiatus in US research on coated particle nuclear fuel. As part of the recent US Department of Energy's Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification program, Oak Ridge National Laboratory has utilized advancements in computer automation, digital imaging, and image analysis to modernize US optical microscopy techniques for coated particle nuclear fuel. Automated optical microscopy has enabled detailed and objective analysis of individual particles (hundreds of measurements per particle) and of large sample sizes that far exceed the capabilities of conventional manual microscopy methods (analysis of 1500-5000 particles is common). Demonstrative examples of the capabilities of this automated optical microscopy are given for: (a) shadow imaging of kernels, coated fuel particles, and graphite matrix overcoated particles and (b) cross-sectional analysis of coated fuel particles to determine layer thicknesses.",

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Automated optical microscopy of coated particle fuel

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