Design and Fabrication of Open-Porous Structures to Advance Nuclear Energy

Additive manufacturing (AM) has fundamentally transformed the design space for nuclear engineering, enabling the fabrication of complex, near-net-shape components, not thought possible to fabricate conventionally. Open-porous structures, engineered lattices in particular, are beyond aesthetic appeal, offering functional advantages: significant mass reduction, optimized thermal management, and accommodation for irradiation-induced swelling or energy absorption. This work explores the deployment of powder-bed and binder-based AM processes to fabricate high-performance metal and ceramic lattice architectures tailored for next-generation nuclear applications. We present case studies on the development of innovative fuel concepts, core assembly chassis, and compact heat exchangers. The discussion will focus on the process-structure-property relationships of advanced materials systems, including radiation-tolerant steels, refractory alloys, and technical ceramics, emphasizing their performance under the extreme environments typical of advanced reactor designs.