Learn about the capabilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's SATS facility used to push nuclear fuels to their limits.
March 5, 2019
minute read time
The Severe Accident Test Station is a key facility in helping industry develop new light-water reactor fuels.
Video courtesy of the Department of Energy
The Severe Accident Test Station at Oak Ridge National Laboratory uses furnaces to test cladding materials at extreme temperatures. This helps researchers understand why a fuel fails when there is a loss of coolant. The facility is being used to help industry develop new fuels that can survive longer during nuclear accidents and increase the performance of light-water reactors.