Fuel

The fuel pellets in the OPEN100 reactor core will be enriched Uranium Dioxide (3-5% U-235) pellets that use the same specification as those used throughout the US nuclear power industry. Sintered into pieces that are approximately 3/8-inch diameter and 5/8-inch long, the pellets will be assembled and sealed into 12-foot-long fuel rod assemblies composed of a Zirconium alloy. They are arrayed into a 17x17 assembly for handling and loading into the reactor vessel. Some pellets or bundles may include integral or discrete poisons for reactivity control.