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If mechanical and electrical energy consumption can be kept at a minimum, thermochemical cycles hold promise for producing hydrogen at higher efficiencies than electrolysis.

A two-chamber apparatus has been developed for the determination of the solubility of hydrogen in molten salts over wide ranges of temperature and pressure. Illustrative data are presented for the solubilities of helium and hydrogen in a LiF-BeFa eutectic at 600°C. Literature Cited

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Several advanced nuclear fuel concepts are being considered throughout the nuclear industry. Implementation of these concepts could increase accident tolerance or enhance performance beyond the capabilities of the UO2-based nuclear fuel currently in use. Qualification and deployment of any new fuel requires rigorous irradiation testing to demonstrate performance under representative normal and offnormal operating conditions. The traditional approach for qualifying new fuels requires exhaustive execution of many integral fuel tests. However, due to the long timeframe for executing these integral tests and the limited number of available materials test reactors, this approach is becoming impractical. To accelerate fuel qualification, Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed the MiniFuel irradiation vehicle for use in conducting accelerated separate effects irradiation testing of a wide range of nuclear fuel materials in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). The first MiniFuel irradiations performed in the facility tested sol gel-derived uranium nitride kernels and tristructural isotropic (TRISO)-coated particle fuels. This report describes the preparation and assembly of the first set of monolithic MiniFuel irradiations conducted to support accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) development and accelerated fuel qualification. Two irradiation targets containing a variety of UO2 and U3Si2 disk fuel specimens were fabricated and assembled for irradiation to burnups of 8−10 and 28−40 MWd/kg U. The target irradiation temperature is 450−550°C. Irradiation of U3Si2 will provide new data regarding the irradiation performance of a candidate ATF to complement current ATF-1 integral experiments being performed in the Advanced Test Reactor. UO2 samples were included as a reference so that the results from the MiniFuel experiments can be compared with the extensive UO2 fuel performance database. The monolithic MiniFuel capsules were successfully assembled, welded, and tested per HFIR requirements and are ready for insertion into the reactor. Pictures of the assembly process are included in this report. The experiment is planned for insertion into the HFIR during cycle 487 in April 2020.