High power test of low enriched UZrH
- General Atomic Co., San Diego, CA (United States)
TRIGA-LEU fuel is currently undergoing high power tests in the 30 MW Oak Ridge Reactor. These tests are being funded by the Department of Energy through the RERTR program [Reduced Enrichment Research and Test Reactor program administered by Argonne National Laboratory] and began in mid-December, 1979 on a 16-rod shrouded cluster. The fuel rods are 0.51 in. 0D, clad with 0.16 in. Incoloy and the fuel length is 22 in. It is planned to test the UZrH fuel with 45, 30 and 20 wt-% U (nominal 20% enriched), to burnup values of about 50% of the contained U-235 in the 45 wt-% rods and about 40% and 35% burnup in the 30 wt-%, and 20 wt-% U fuel. It will take about 2 years of irradiation to produce the desired burnup in the 45 wt-% U fuel. Currently being tested are six 45 wt-% U and five 30 wt-% U rods. The remaining 5 rods are stainless steel dummies which were necessary to meet an operational requirement of the ORR which limits the power generation in a fuel rod to a value which would not raise the coolant temperature above the saturation level. Maximum calculated fuel rod powers were 40 kW, which would produce a fuel temperature of about 650 deg. C. The measured temperatures are about 400 deg. C and 350 deg. C for the 45 and 30 wt-% U fuel, respectively. Flow and {delta}T measurements show the cluster power generation to be about 250 kW, or about 65% of the design value. Reasons for the lower than expected power are still being evaluated and a proposal has been submitted for rearrangement of the fuel rods within the cluster to raise the powers and temperatures in the TRIGA-LEU fuel rods. (author)
- Research Organization:
- General Atomic Co., San Diego, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 21149394
- Report Number(s):
- INIS-US-09N0119; TOC-12; TRN: US09N0140029000
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 7. biennial U.S. TRIGA users' conference, San Diego, CA (United States), 2-5 Mar 1980; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Abstract on p. xxxii; 9 figs, 2 tabs; Related Information: In: 7. biennial U.S. TRIGA users' conference. Papers and abstracts, 369 pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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