Accelerated fuel development by in situ neutron diffraction

The development and qualification of high-performance fuels hinder the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors that will play a key role in achieving net-zero targets. Traditional ex-situ experimental methods are unable to capture material changes in real time and may not provide representative bulk characterisation. The team has developed in situ neutron scattering techniques to provide a greater understanding of fuel behaviour under transient conditions, allowing the community to better predict fuel performance and optimise future fuel compositions.