Home Applications & Case Studies ORNL successfully tests additively manufactured reactor capsule

ORNL successfully tests additively manufactured reactor capsule

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has designed, printed and successfully tested a special test capsule, also known as a “Rabbit Capsule”, for use in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). This development shows how 3D printing can contribute to the production of complex components in nuclear technology by shortening production times and reducing costs compared to conventional processes.

Rabbit capsules are used to hold samples in experiments that are exposed to intensive irradiation in test reactors. To demonstrate the suitability of 3D printing for such applications, ORNL used a laser powder bed process to produce a stainless steel capsule. After printing, the capsule was assembled, loaded with samples and hermetically sealed. The capsule withstood a month in the HFIR, a high-flux reactor, and proved itself in its intense neutron environment.

“This is a significant step toward demonstrating that additive manufacturing can be used to develop and qualify specialized components that cannot be conventionally machined,” said Richard Howard, group lead for irradiation engineering at ORNL.

Following the successful test phase, ORNL plans to test the capsule’s material properties in detail. The results could pave the way for the use of additively manufactured components in safety-critical applications, not only in the nuclear industry, but also in other highly regulated industries with high material and design requirements.

“As we demonstrate the reliability of these printed components, we’re looking at a future where additive manufacturing might become standard practice in producing other critical reactor parts,” said Manufacturing Demonstration Facility Director Ryan Dehoff.

The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies program, which aims to advance the commercialization of new manufacturing technologies.


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