Extended life aluminide fuel for university research reactors

Technical Report · Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5641924· OSTI ID:5641924

Miller, L G; Brown, K R; Beeston, J M; McGinty, D M

A test program is being conducted to determine if the fuel loading and burnup limits for fuel elements in university research reactors can be safely increased beyond the limits presently allowed by reactor licensing restrictions. For the tests, 30 fuel plates were constructed to a maximum fuel loading which could be produced on a commercial basis and to contain a maximum boron content as used in the INEL Advanced Test Reactor to reduce initial reactor reactivity. A UAl/sub 2/ fuel matrix was used to gain higher uranium content. The test program planned for the fuel plates to be irradiated to a 3.3 x 10/sup 21/ fissions/cm/sup 3/ average burnup (45% of U-235 for the 50 vol% fuel plate cores), twice the burnup presently allowed in the university reactors. Irradiation performance of the heavy loaded fuel plates has been good at burnups exceeding 2.3 x 10/sup 21/ fissions/cm/sup 3/, with one fuel plate reaching a peak burnup of about 3 x 10/sup 21/ fissions/cm/sup 3/. Three fuel plates failed, however, during the irradiation, and are undergoing destructive analysis. Corrosion pitting occurred in cladding of both UAl/sub 2/ and UAl/sub 3/ fuel plates. Some plates appear to be more resistant to corrosion pitting than others. Localized swelling in high fuel loaded plates also is being investigated as a possible failure mode.

• Research Organization: EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-76ID01570
• OSTI ID: 5641924
• Report Number(s): EGG-SE-6464; ON: DE84004233
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
FUEL PLATES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
RESEARCH REACTORS
FUEL MANAGEMENT
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
BURNUP
FUEL ELEMENTS
IRRADIATION
PITTING CORROSION
URANIUM BASE ALLOYS
ACTINIDE ALLOYS
ALLOYS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CORROSION
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
TESTING
URANIUM ALLOYS
220600* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors