Recent progress in the development of metallic fuel

Conference · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6757657

Seidel, B R; Batte, G L; Dodds, N E; Lahm, C E; Pahl, R G ^[1]; Tsai, H C ^[2]

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1. Argonne National Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (USA)
2. Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)

Tests to date demonstrate that metallic fuel for advanced liquid metal reactors performs well, is easily reprocessed and refabricated and provides inherent reactor safety within an economic design. The behavior and performance of metallic fuel is key to the demonstration of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) concept at Argonne National Laboratory. Since 1985, more than 40 assemblies of experimental fuel in addition to the standard metallic driver fuel for Experimental Breeder Reactor 2 (EBR-2)have been irradiated; several more continue to be designed and fabricated. Results have characterized the influence of a wide range of fabrication, design and material variables upon irradiation behavior throughout the fuel lifetime under normal and upset conditions including operation with breached cladding. Results of test, both in- and out-of-reactor, indicate that metallic fuel is readily and economically fabricated, capable of achieving high exposure and long reactor residence times, and possesses unique and promising safety features. 9 refs., 6 figs.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/NE
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6757657
• Report Number(s): CONF-900917-6; ON: DE90013664; TRN: 90-023493
• Resource Relation: Conference: American Nuclear Society topical meeting on safety of non-commercial nuclear reactor research and irradiation facilities, Boise, ID (USA), 30 Sep - 3 Oct 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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