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SUMMARYCurrent industry capability was assessed to support deployment of the firstof-a-kind (FOAK) high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) to be developed and demonstrated by the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project, assuming an operational date of +2020 timeframe. The goals of this infrastructure readiness assessment were to assess current infrastructure capabilities, identify development needs, and recommend improvements to support the deployment of the FOAK plant, with an understanding that the same infrastructure could be brought to bear on follow-on HTGR deployment. AREVA and Westinghouse were chosen to perform independent assessments of industry's capabilities because of their experience with nuclear supply chains supporting the EPR and AP-1000 reactors. Both suppliers produced infrastructure readiness assessment reports that identified key components and capabilities and categorized them into three groups based on industry's ability to produce the necessary components or possess the required skills to produce a FOAK plant. The NGNP Project also provided input for those areas where project-led programs, such as fuel and graphite qualification programs, have applicable information concerning industrial capabilities.

As part of a scoping study for the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) fuel conversion project, an initial comparison of the material properties of Zircaloy-4 (Zr-4) and aluminum-6061 (T6 and O-temper) is performed to provide a preliminary evaluation of Zr-4 as a candidate cladding material for ATR fuel elements. The current fuel design for the ATR uses aluminum-6061 (T6 and O-temper) as a cladding and structural material and this design is proven to have a high degree of reliability. Because of the successful and longstanding operating history of aluminum-6061 (Al-6061) cladding in the ATR, Zr-4 properties will be evaluated against Al-6061 material properties. The preliminary investigation will focus on a comparison of densities, oxidation rates, water chemistry requirements, mechanical properties, thermal properties, and neutronic properties. Revision 0 9. Conclusions/Recommendations:In the event that aluminum becomes a nonviable option for the ATR fuel cladding, a more detailed analysis of the resulting thermal and structural changes, associated with a change in fuel cladding, should be performed. This assertion is predominantly based on the following: •The thermal conductivity of Zr-4 is significantly lower than Al-6061, which may necessitate operating the fuel at a higher centerline temperature and may result in non-beneficial changes to the operating parameters of the reactor.• Replacing the Al-6061 cladding with Zr-4 would increase the weight of the core by approximately 265.6 kg in addition to any increase from the fuel.

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