Additively manufactured fuel component installed in commercial nuclear reactor
A thimble plugging device produced by metal Additive Manufacturing was successfully installed in Exelon Generation’s Byron Unit 1 nuclear plant during its spring refuelling outage, according to Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, USA, a supplier of nuclear power plant products. The installation is believed to be a first for the nuclear industry.
Ken Canavan, Westinghouse’s Chief Technology Officer, stated, “Westinghouse continues to lead the way with the development of the most advanced technologies to help the world meet growing electricity demand with safe, clean and reliable energy. Our Additive Manufacturing programme offers customers enhanced component designs that help increase performance and reduce costs, as well as provide access to components that may not be available using traditional manufacturing methods.”
Ken Petersen, Exelon Generation’s Vice President of nuclear fuels, commented, “Additive Manufacturing is an exciting new solution for the nuclear industry. The simplified approach helps meet the industry’s need for a wide variety of low-volume, highly-critical plant components. We are proud to have Westinghouse as a partner on this industry milestone and to help further demonstrate the viability of this technology.”
