Fabrication of U-10 wt.%Zr Metallic Fuel Rodlets for Irradiation Test in BOR-60 Fast Reactor

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2016 · Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/4385925· OSTI ID:1328446

Kim, Ki-Hwan ^[1]; Kim, Jong-Hwan  ^[1]; Oh, Seok-Jin ^[1]; Lee, Jung-Won ^[1]; Lee, Ho-Jin ^[1]; Lee, Chan-Bock ^[1]

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1. Next Generation Fuel Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon 305-353, Republic of Korea

The fabrication technology for metallic fuel has been developed to produce the driver fuel in a PGSFR in Korea since 2007. In order to evaluate the irradiation integrity and validate the in-reactor of the starting metallic fuel with FMS cladding for the loading of the metallic fuel, U-10 wt.%Zr fuel rodlets were fabricated and evaluated for a verification of the starting driver fuel through an irradiation test in the BOR-60 fast reactor. The injection casting method was applied to U-10 wt.%Zr fuel slugs with a diameter of 5.5 mm. Consequently, fuel slugs per melting batch without casting defects were fabricated through the development of advanced casting technology and evaluation tests. The optimal GTAW welding conditions were also established through a number of experiments. In addition, a qualification test was carried out to prove the weld quality of the end plug welding of the metallic fuel rodlets. The wire wrapping of metallic fuel rodlets was successfully accomplished for the irradiation test. Thus, PGSFR fuel rodlets have been soundly fabricated for the irradiation test in a BOR-60 fast reactor.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 1328446
• Journal Information: Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations, Journal Name: Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations Vol. 2016; ISSN 1687-6075
• Publisher: Hindawi Publishing Corporation
• Country of Publication: Egypt
• Language: English