Progress and Challenge in Research and Development of Advanced Nuclear Fuel in China Institute of Atomic Energy

This paper reviews the accomplishments of the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE) in nuclear fuel development over the past 75 years, while addressing the challenges in advanced nuclear fuel research and development (R&D) in light of the evolving requirements of modern reactor engineering technologies. Through 75 years of relentless efforts, CIAE has achieved significant breakthroughs in research reactor fuels, fast reactor fuels, advanced pressurized water reactor fuels, and specialized power reactor fuels, establishing a comprehensive nuclear fuel R&D framework that encompasses design analysis, fabrication processes, experimental validation, irradiation testing, and post-irradiation examination. The development of advanced nuclear fuels is confronted with challenges, including prolonged R&D cycles and high technical complexity. Furthermore, the emergence of next-generation and novel-domain reactor technologies poses new challenges to nuclear fuel development. Looking forward, the integration of innovative technologies such as accelerated fuel irradiation, artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, and digital twins will be critical to overcoming the bottlenecks in advanced nuclear fuel R&D.