Current Status of Hot Hydrogen Test Facilities at BWXT to Support Future Nuclear Propulsion Research and Development

This paper summarizes the hot hydrogen test capabilities and current status of facilities available for potential nuclear fuel component testing at BWX Technologies (BWXT). Near term testing under hot hydrogen conditions will aid NTP system designers in selection of the most capable and viable fuel system and reactor design. Development and use of high temperature nuclear fuels for use in NTP concepts will require the capability to test prototype fuel material and reactor core components in flowing hydrogen at very high temperatures (2000-3600 K). US national capabilities were begun in the early 1990s to support such testing but most of the efforts were ended by the mid-1990s.