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Title: AGR-1 Irradiated Test Train Preliminary Inspection and Disassembly First Look

Abstract

The AGR-1 irradiation experiment ended on November 6, 2009, after 620 effective full power days in the Advanced Test Reactor, achieving a peak burnup of 19.6% FIMA. The test train was shipped to the Materials and Fuels Complex in March 2010 for post-irradiation examination. The first PIE activities included non-destructive examination of the test train, followed by disassembly of the test train and individual capsules and detailed inspection of the capsule contents, including the fuel compacts and the graphite fuel holders. Dimensional measurements of the compacts, graphite holders, and steel capsules shells were performed using a custom vision measurement system (for outer diameters and lengths) and conventional bore gauges (for inner diameters). Gamma spectrometry of the intact test train gave a preliminary look at the condition of the interior components. No evidence of damage to compacts or graphite components was evident from the isotopic and gross gamma scans. Neutron radiography of the intact Capsule 2 showed a high degree of detail of interior components and confirmed the observation that there was no major damage to the capsule. Disassembly of the capsules was initiated using procedures qualified during out-of-cell mockup testing. Difficulties were encountered during capsule disassembly due to irradiation-induced changesmore » in some of the capsule components’ properties, including embrittled niobium and molybdenum parts that were susceptible to fracture and swelling of the graphite fuel holders that affected their removal from the capsule shells. This required various improvised modifications to the disassembly procedure to avoid damage to the fuel compacts. Ultimately the capsule disassembly was successful and only one compact from Capsule 4 (out of 72 total in the test train) sustained damage during the disassembly process, along with the associated graphite holder. The compacts were generally in very good condition upon removal. Only relatively minor damage or markings were visible using high resolution photographic inspection. Compact dimensional measurements indicated diametrical shrinkage of 0.9 to 1. 4%, and length shrinkage of 0.2 to 1.1%. The shrinkage was somewhat dependent on compact location within each capsule and within the test train. Compacts exhibited a maximum diametrical shrinkage at a fast neutron fluence of approximately 3×1021 n/cm2. A multivariate statistical analysis indicates that fast neutron fluence as well as compact position in the test train influence compact shrinkage.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
DOE - NE
OSTI Identifier:
1009153
Report Number(s):
INL/EXT-10-20722
TRN: US1101738
DOE Contract Number:  
DE-AC07-05ID14517
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; BURNUP; FAST NEUTRONS; FRACTURES; GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY; GRAPHITE; IRRADIATION; MOCKUP; MODIFICATIONS; MOLYBDENUM; NEUTRON RADIOGRAPHY; NIOBIUM; POST-IRRADIATION EXAMINATION; REMOVAL; RESOLUTION; SHRINKAGE; STEELS; SWELLING; TEST REACTORS; TESTING; NGNP+TDO+VHTR+R&D+Fuel+AGR-1+AGR-2+Irradiation+Fis

Citation Formats

Demkowicz, Paul, Cole, Lance, Ploger, Scott, Winston, Philip, Pham, Binh, and Abbott, Michael. AGR-1 Irradiated Test Train Preliminary Inspection and Disassembly First Look. United States: N. p., 2011. Web. doi:10.2172/1009153.
Demkowicz, Paul, Cole, Lance, Ploger, Scott, Winston, Philip, Pham, Binh, & Abbott, Michael. AGR-1 Irradiated Test Train Preliminary Inspection and Disassembly First Look. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1009153
Demkowicz, Paul, Cole, Lance, Ploger, Scott, Winston, Philip, Pham, Binh, and Abbott, Michael. 2011. "AGR-1 Irradiated Test Train Preliminary Inspection and Disassembly First Look". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1009153. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1009153.
@article{osti_1009153,
title = {AGR-1 Irradiated Test Train Preliminary Inspection and Disassembly First Look},
author = {Demkowicz, Paul and Cole, Lance and Ploger, Scott and Winston, Philip and Pham, Binh and Abbott, Michael},
abstractNote = {The AGR-1 irradiation experiment ended on November 6, 2009, after 620 effective full power days in the Advanced Test Reactor, achieving a peak burnup of 19.6% FIMA. The test train was shipped to the Materials and Fuels Complex in March 2010 for post-irradiation examination. The first PIE activities included non-destructive examination of the test train, followed by disassembly of the test train and individual capsules and detailed inspection of the capsule contents, including the fuel compacts and the graphite fuel holders. Dimensional measurements of the compacts, graphite holders, and steel capsules shells were performed using a custom vision measurement system (for outer diameters and lengths) and conventional bore gauges (for inner diameters). Gamma spectrometry of the intact test train gave a preliminary look at the condition of the interior components. No evidence of damage to compacts or graphite components was evident from the isotopic and gross gamma scans. Neutron radiography of the intact Capsule 2 showed a high degree of detail of interior components and confirmed the observation that there was no major damage to the capsule. Disassembly of the capsules was initiated using procedures qualified during out-of-cell mockup testing. Difficulties were encountered during capsule disassembly due to irradiation-induced changes in some of the capsule components’ properties, including embrittled niobium and molybdenum parts that were susceptible to fracture and swelling of the graphite fuel holders that affected their removal from the capsule shells. This required various improvised modifications to the disassembly procedure to avoid damage to the fuel compacts. Ultimately the capsule disassembly was successful and only one compact from Capsule 4 (out of 72 total in the test train) sustained damage during the disassembly process, along with the associated graphite holder. The compacts were generally in very good condition upon removal. Only relatively minor damage or markings were visible using high resolution photographic inspection. Compact dimensional measurements indicated diametrical shrinkage of 0.9 to 1. 4%, and length shrinkage of 0.2 to 1.1%. The shrinkage was somewhat dependent on compact location within each capsule and within the test train. Compacts exhibited a maximum diametrical shrinkage at a fast neutron fluence of approximately 3×1021 n/cm2. A multivariate statistical analysis indicates that fast neutron fluence as well as compact position in the test train influence compact shrinkage.},
doi = {10.2172/1009153},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1009153}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2011},
month = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2011}
}