Distinguished Merit Award: Examination of light water reactor (LWR) Fuel

Dan Cadieux, Dan McDonald, Dave Trudell, David Dean, Gaige Moore, Gary Shultz, Guy Leblond, Ike Dimayuga, Jeff Armstrong, Kevin Rochon, Mark Sequin, Michael Gharghouri, Nathan Lee, Nick Simpson, Noel Harrison, Scott Read, Sherry Laroche, Stavros Corbett, Sterling St. Lawrence, Tijmen Van Lindenberg, Tyler Chaput, and Zia Haque

For the work on the post-irradiation examination of light water reactor (LWR) fuel. 

The team successfully developed capabilities, applied high quality standards, and delivered Light Water Reactor (LWR) Fuel Post Irradiation Examination and Testing services for an international commercial customer. This was a multi-year effort to deliver a commercial contract that commenced in 2018, continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and finished testing in 2023.

This work is the first time CNL delivers post-irradiation examination (PIE) of fuel services to the LWR industry in more than 30 years. This is a key area of future business for CNL as evidenced by the Advanced Nuclear Materials Research Centre hot cell design which explicitly addresses examination of LWR fuel. These capabilities support the nuclear industry in North America and support the effort to restore the environment by the reduction of green-house gases around the world. The team persisted through multiple challenges with the firm belief that building and demonstrating CNL’s LWR fuel PIE capabilities are key for the future of CNL as a national lab.