The University of Florida has been developing a light water reactor (LWR) liquid-metal-bonded (LMB) fuel element under a U.S. Department of Energy Nuclear Engineering Multiyear Research Grant. The basic benefits of the concept have been reported at several meetings. The concept has been shown to offer outstanding benefits in the fuel thermal/mechanical/materials performance and nuclear safety areas because the fuel center-line temperature is [approximately]1000[degrees]F less than current fuel. This paper reports on the results of experimental and analytical fuel/bond/cladding evaluations and performance analysis conducted in the last year.

A time-of-flight diagnostic for analysis of relatively low-energy ion beams is described. The system incorporates several novel features which improve its performance in a number of ways. The technique is simple and can provide an alternative to magnetic analysis of ion beams for the determination of ion charge state and beam composition.