Design and fabrication of uranium-based fuels

In this dossier, we look at the design and manufacture of uranium-based fuels, focusing on pressurized water reactor fuels, which are currently the main source of electricity generation in France.

After presenting the role of nuclear fuel in general, the dossier reviews uranium-based fuels for the various nuclear reactor systems in service around the world. The case of fuels for light water reactors, and more specifically for PWR-type reactors (pressurized water reactors) such as those used in France, is then described in greater detail: their design, the phenomena limiting their operating range, and the main stages in their manufacture.

Today, the uranium-based nuclear fuel industry is highly mature. Thousands of tonnes are manufactured every year, with in-service performance having improved considerably over the years. Despite this, nuclear fuel continues to be the focus of numerous research and development programs, both in terms of improving performance and of fuels for the decades to come.