July 31, 2023
Free Form Fibers has been awarded two SBIR phase I awards from the Nuclear Energy division of the Department of Energy. Each grant is for a 12 month duration and continues FFF’s leading edge technology development in the field of nuclear power generation.
The first program focuses on the development of hybrid metal-CMC cladding for nuclear fuel rods, as part of the larger nuclear industry effort to engineer accident tolerant fuel concepts that prevent the kind of material failure that occurred at the Fukushima power plant in Japan. The second project begins the experimental work to demonstrate large array fiber-embedded wireless sensors, based on LCVD fiber and coating manufacturing capabilities. Both build on core R&D efforts that FFF has focused on the last half decade for nuclear power applications.