Ceramography of Irradiated tristructural isotropic (TRISO) Fuel from the AGR-2 Experiment
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Ceramography was performed on cross sections from four tristructural isotropic (TRISO) coated particle fuel compacts taken from the AGR-2 experiment, which was irradiated between June 2010 and October 2013 in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). The fuel compacts examined in this study contained TRISO-coated particles with either uranium oxide (UO2) kernels or uranium oxide/uranium carbide (UCO) kernels that were irradiated to final burnup values between 9.0 and 11.1% FIMA. These examinations are intended to explore kernel and coating morphology evolution during irradiation. This includes kernel porosity, swelling, and migration, and irradiation-induced coating fracture and separation. Variations in behavior within a specific cross section, which could be related to temperature or burnup gradients within the fuel compact, are also explored. The criteria for categorizing post-irradiation particle morphologies developed for AGR-1 ceramographic exams, was applied to the particles in the AGR-2 compacts particles examined. Results are compared with similar investigations performed as part of the earlier AGR-1 irradiation experiment. This paper presents the results of the AGR-2 examinations and discusses the key implications for fuel irradiation performance.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-05ID14517
- OSTI ID:
- 1364473
- Report Number(s):
- INL/EXT-16-39462; TRN: US1703369
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Measurement of kernel swelling and buffer densification in irradiated UCO and UO2 TRISO fuel particles from AGR-2
X-ray Computed Tomography of Irradiated and Unirradiated AGR-3/4 Compacts