First Ever 3D-Printed Parts Have Been Installed at Alabaman Nuclear Plant

Last week, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) announced that four 3D-printed fuel assembly brackets have been installed and are operating at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Unit 2 in Athens, Alabama. The 3D-printed parts mark a next step on the ORNL’s work with 3D printing as well as the current Transformational Challenge Reactor, or TCR, program with is also based at ORNL. Thoroughly tested and examined before installation, the parts are safety critical and expected to be in place for the next six years.

The project was a collaboration with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Framatome (a nuclear reactor business) and, of course, the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy–funded Transformational Challenge Reactor, or TCR, program which is based at ORNL. The goal of creating the 3D-printed parts, as long-term readers might guess, is to help mature the technology used in nuclear plants to ultimately extend the viability of the nuclear power plant fleet in the United States. This currently numbers at 56 nuclear power plants in 28 states though it has shrunk from its peak in the early 2000s.

A 3D=printed channel faster for Framatome’s boiling water reactor fuel assembly. Four of these components were installed at the TVA Browns Ferry nuclear plant (image credits: Framatome)

The program hopes to revolutionize the nuclear industry in the United States, but it is also a significant step-forward for 3D printing, as it proves it further viability for critical components. Ben Betzler, the TCR program directory at the ORNL expanded: “Deploying 3D-printed components in a reactor application is a great milestone. It shows that it is possible to deliver qualified components in a highly regulated environment. This program bridges basic and applied science and technology to deliver tangible solutions that show how advanced manufacturing can transform reactor technology and components.”