Fuel Forms
TRISO particles may be consolidated into a wide range of fuel form geometries within a variety of matrix materials. The most common TRISO fuel forms are cylindrical compacts and spherical pebbles where the TRISO particles are embedded in a graphite.
Pebbles
Spherical fuel pebbles are used in pebble-bed high temperature gas-cooled reactors. The pebble fuel design contains thousands of coated particles embedded in 60 mm (2.5 inch) in diameter sphere. The pebble consists 50 mm fuel core that contains the coated particles. This is surround by a 5 mm thick fuel free zone to protect the particles as the pebbles move in the reactor.
Annular Pebbles
Pebbles can also be made with an interior fuel free zone. Pebbles of this design are referred to as Annular Pebbles. These can be made with broad size range for the interior fuel free zone, fueled region, and exterior fuel free zone.
Compacts
Cylindrical compacts composed of TRISO particles are used in prismatic block HTGR's. Compacts have been extensively studied during the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) program and have been used in previously operated U.S. reactors. The height, width, and packing fraction of compacts can be varied to meet the needs of individual reactor designs.
Annular Compacts
Annular cylindrical compacts composed of TRISO particles are used in prismatic block HTGR's. Annular compacts have been extensively studied and used during for High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) program in Japan. The height, width, and packing fraction of compacts can be varied to meet the needs of individual reactor designs. TRISO-X purchased the compact press equipment that can make annular fuel compacts for the HTTR core from the Japanese fuel manufacturer Nuclear Fuel Industries (NFI) (link to press release).
Space Nuclear
TRISO-X has been involved in multiple design projects related to Nuclear Thermal Propulsion and Space power. There are many different designs to make use of nuclear power in space applications.
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