The Cool Parts Show - January 9, 2025: Pressurized water reactors (PWCs) use nuclear fission to heat water and create steam which in turn drives turbines to produce electricity. To drive and control the reaction, each reactor has multiple assemblies of fuel and control rods, held in place by spacer grids. These grids are conventionally manufactured through stamping and welding. However, Westinghouse Electric Company and Carnegie Mellon University have collaborated on a new design, which can be manufactured additively using laser powder bed fusion to produce each grid as just one piece. 3D printed spacer grids have the potential to reduce the total part count, speed production, reduce cost and enable new or adapted designs for these critical components.
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