Futuristic nuclear fuel shape mimics nature to dramatically improve performance

Futuristic nuclear fuel shape mimics nature to dramatically improve performance

IDAHO FALLS – At the intersection of mathematics and nature, scientists have found intriguing and often beautiful designs. Pinecone scales and sunflower seeds spiral according to a curve derived from the Fibonacci sequence. Fern fronds and snowflakes are fractals — shapes seemingly repeat themselves whether you’re looking at the entire object, the smallest structure within that object or any scale in between. One such mathematical phenomenon is …

INL Researchers Use 3D Printing to Create Nature-Inspired Nuclear Fuel Design

Researchers at Idaho National Laboratory have developed a new nuclear fuel design using 3D printing technology that mimics natural geometric patterns called triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS).