Current status of U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} fuel element fabrication in Brazil
- Centro do Combustivel Nuclear, Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares, IPEN - CNEN/SP, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 2242, Cidade Universitaria, CEP 05508-000, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)
- Departamento de Engenharia Quimica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, SC (Brazil)
IPEN has been working for increasing radioisotope production in order to supply the expanding demand for radiopharmaceutical medicines requested by the Brazilian welfare. To reach this objective, the IEA-R1 research reactor power capacity was recently increased from 2 MW to 4 MW. Since 1988 IPEN has been manufacturing its own fuel element, initially based on U{sub 3}O{sub 8}-Al dispersion fuel plates with 2.3 gU/cm{sup 3}. To support the reactor power increase, higher uranium density in the fuel plate meat had to be achieved for better irradiation flux and also to minimize the irradiated fuel elements to be stored. Uranium silicide was the chosen option and the fuel fabrication development started with the support of the IAEA BRA/4/047 Technical Cooperation Project. This paper describes the results of this program and the current status of silicide fuel fabrication and its qualification. (author)
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Laboratory, Nuclear Engineering Division, RERTR Department, Argonne, IL (United States); Czech Technical University, Prague (Czech Republic)
- OSTI ID:
- 21113496
- Report Number(s):
- INIS-US-08N0001; Project IAEA BRA/4/047; TRN: US08N0018121034
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: RERTR-2007: 29. international meeting on reduced enrichment for research and test reactors, Prague (Czech Republic), 23-27 Sep 2007; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); 7 refs, 11 figs, 1 tab; Related Information: In: 2007 international meeting on Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR). Abstracts and available papers presented at the meeting, vp.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
High Flux Isotope Reactor Low-Enriched Uranium Low Density Silicide Fuel Design Parameters
Status and progress of the RERTR program in the year 2003.