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TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY Gap Maintaining Structures Enabled by Advanced Manufacturing These gap maintaining structures are enabled by advanced manufacturing processes as part of the integrated... TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY Gap Maintaining Structures Enabled by Advanced Manufacturing These gap maintaining structures are enabled by advanced manufacturing processes as part of the integrated manufacturing process of a system with embedded sensor(s). Opportunity: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), is offering the opportunity to enter into a license and/or collaborative research agreement to commercialize this gap maintaining structure technology. Overview: In recent years, many new designs have been proposed for nuclear reactors. While innovative, these designs have unique features that require new solutions. Designs for small modular reactors and micro reactors may need unique fuels and cladding. Processes that allow for more efficient fabrication of unique features, allowing modular fabrication and fabrication within an enclosed environment, are needed in industry. These processes allow for a small footprint and less facility control for minimization of proliferation control. The gap maintaining structure designs with associated manufacturing processes in this invention allow for application strategies through multiple techniques, that allows for flexibility in material type and fuel type (e.g., metal, ceramic). Description: A fuel-glad gap is an important performance design feature, as it allows for fuel expansion, thermal heat transfer, and mitigates clad-fuel interactions during operation while reducing stress contact points. Gap maintaining structure fabrication predominantly existed of top and end plug assembling techniques through mechanical spacing. This technology provides innovative design features and materials to enable direct integrated manufacturing of fuel systems (e.g., fuel, clad, end plugs) through advanced manufacturing techniques. This technology includes a temporary layer/disappearing layer to maintain the gap during manufacturing. The gap “dissolves” during the last manufacturing step. The material is absorbed within the surrounding material for enhancing the properties (corrosion, abrasion, heat transfer). This innovation provides various options that allow for a variety of design options depending on fuel system type and tolerances required. Benefits: For nuclear industries: More efficient fabrication of unique features Allows modular fabrication and fabrication within an enclosed environment Small footprint Less facility control Evaluate different design features rapidly Decrease development cost Up to 25% cost savings Increased durability Heat transfer efficiency increase Applications: Nuclear industry Heat exchangers Microchips Rocket engines Thermal barrier coatings Development Status: TRL 2. This technology is in concept stage and in need of further development. IP Status: US Provisional Patent Application Submitted. INL is seeking to license the above intellectual property to a company with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Exclusive rights in defined fields of use may be available. Please visit Technology Deployment’s website at https://inl.gov/inl-initiatives/technology-deployment for more information on working with INL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process. Companies interested in learning more about this licensing opportunity should contact Andrew Rankin at td@inl.gov.