Westinghouse Churchill Hot Cell Facility and Capabilities

This article presents the mechanical testing, corrosion testing, microstructural characterization, and post-irradiation examination (PIE) capabilities available to the nuclear materials community at the Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) Churchill Hot Cell Facility. The Churchill Hot Cell Facility is the only industry Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) Partner Laboratory, supporting both rapid turnaround projects and mid- to long-term research efforts. Through long-term partnerships with industry groups such as the PWR Owners Group (PWROG) and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Churchill supports testing and investigation which are essential to the sustainability of the existing light water reactor (LWR) and the development of novel reactor and fuel types. In addition to describing the capabilities of this facility, several case studies of NSUF and industry collaborations utilizing the Churchill Hot Cell Facility are reviewed.