Performance analysis review of thorium TRISO coated particles during manufacture, irradiation and accident condition heating tests

Modern, high quality, tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles with thorium oxide and uranium dioxide (UO2) had been manufactured since 1978 and were successfully demonstrated in irradiation and accident tests. In 1980, HTR fuels changed to low enriched uranium UO2 TRISO fuels. The wide ranging development and demonstration programme was successful, and it established a worldwide standard that is still valid today. During the process, results of the thorium work with high quality TRISO fuel particles had not been fully evaluated or documented. This publication collects and presents the information and demonstrates the performance of thorium TRISO fuels.