Advancements in Yttrium Hydride Moderator Development

Trellue, Holly R.; Taylor, Chase N.; Luther, Erik; Cutler, Theresa; Shivprasad, Aditya; Jewell, J. K.; Rao, D.V.; Davenport, Michael E.

doi:10.1080/00295450.2022.2043088

Cited by 13 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…There was a large effort at LANL to develop YH x samples large enough to work in a critical experiment (Trellue et al, 2022). Once the YH x samples were produced, they were sealed and shipped to NCERC.…”

Section: Hypatiamentioning

confidence: 99%

The National Criticality Experiments Research Center and its role in support of advanced reactor design

Thompson

Maldonado²,

Cutler³

et al. 2023

Front. Energy Res.

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The National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) located at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) in the Device Assembly Facility (DAF) and operated by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is the only general purpose critical experiments facility in the United States. Experiments from subcritical to critical and above prompt critical are carried out at NCERC on a regular basis. In recent years, NCERC has become more involved in experiments related to nuclear energy, including the Kilopower/KRUSTY demonstration and the recent Hypatia experiment. Multiple nuclear energy related projects are currently ongoing at NCERC. This paper discusses NCERC’s role in advanced reactor design and how that role may change in the future.

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Section: Hypatiamentioning

confidence: 99%

The National Criticality Experiments Research Center and its role in support of advanced reactor design

Thompson

Maldonado²,

Cutler³

et al. 2023

Front. Energy Res.

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“…Under the microreactor program, yttrium hydride (YH2-x) enclosed by titanium-zirconiummolybdenum (TZM) alloy has been investigated as a candidate microreactor moderator solution [4]. YH2-x was selected as it provides exceptional high temperature stability without introducing significant neutronic penalty.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of Hydrogen Permeation Barrier and Matrix Interaction Protection Coatings for TZM Enclosure of Hydride Moderators (Microreactor Program M3 Report)

Bhattacharya¹,

Miao²,

Yacout³

2023

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It is important to develop a high-performance enclosure solution for hydride-based microreactor moderation components to effectively suppress hydride thermal decomposition and prevent hydrogen loss in harsh in-reactor environments. Currently, the DOE-NE Microreactor Program (MR program) is investigating the titanium-zirconium-molybdenum (TZM) canned yttrium hydride (YH2-x) solution, which provides acceptable hydrogen retainment performance up to ~700 °C. However, improvements in the enclosure are necessary for increasing long-term operation temperature beyond 700 °C and enhancing short-term survivability at even higher temperatures during power transients.One potential solution is the addition of a dedicated hydrogen permeation barrier, which can potentially improve the enclosure's performance. Furthermore, the hydride moderator components will be inserted into the microreactor matrix, which may consist of materials that are not chemically inert against TZM. Therefore, the TZM might need to be protected from the external environment through the application of another surface protection coating.To address these critical issues, two types of barrier coatings optimized for TZM-based moderator enclosure has been developed. A multilayer coating approach has been used to identify TZM-compatible barrier materials. Behavior of these coating designs against H2 permeation and long-term high-temperature graphite matrix interactions has been examined in detail. Additionally, the developed coatings' behavior when exposed to both high-temperature thermal cycling and heavy-ion irradiation has also been investigated.Overall, the development of these barrier coatings is essential for achieving maturity for the metal hydride moderator technology. The results in this report will provide crucial insights into the behavior of the developed coatings and their potential for improving the long-term performance of TZM-based moderator enclosures.

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Effect of sintering parameters on dehydrogenation behavior of yttrium hydride during spark plasma sintering

Hou,

Shang,

Huang

et al. 2025

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

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Advancements in Yttrium Hydride Moderator Development

Cited by 13 publications

References 16 publications

The National Criticality Experiments Research Center and its role in support of advanced reactor design

The National Criticality Experiments Research Center and its role in support of advanced reactor design

Development of Hydrogen Permeation Barrier and Matrix Interaction Protection Coatings for TZM Enclosure of Hydride Moderators (Microreactor Program M3 Report)

Effect of sintering parameters on dehydrogenation behavior of yttrium hydride during spark plasma sintering

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