ANALYSIS OF ORNL DATA ON THE RELEASE OF FISSION GASES FROM UO$sub 2$

Technical Report · Wed Sep 21 04:00:00 EDT 1960

OSTI ID:4033560

Scott, J L

In order to establish optimum design criteria for the release of fission gases from UO/sub 2/ three independent studies were conducted at ORNL. These studies include neutron activation tests, capsule irradiations in the Oak Ridge Research Reactor (ORR) and the Low-Intensity Test Reactor (LITR), and the instantaneous fission-gas release experiment. The data obtained from these studies are analyzed in terms of the equivalent sphere model for fission-gas release. Results showed that the value of D' for xenon and krypton at 1400 deg C is in the range 10/sup -10/ to 10/sup -14/ sec/sup / ->s/sup 1/ and that for design purposes the activation energy for the diffusion of fission gases in U0/ sub 2/ may be assumed to be 70 kcal/mole. Above 1600 deg C the rate of release is higher than that predicted on the basis of diffusion alone as a result of grain growth and sublimation. Therefore above 1600 deg C it is best to assume that all of the fission gas will be released. It was also found that there is no effect of burnup on the rate of release at a given temperature up to a burnup of at least 16,400 Mwd/ton of U0/sub 2/. (auth)

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn.
• NSA Number: NSA-15-023931
• OSTI ID: 4033560
• Report Number(s): CF-60-8-15
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACTIVATION
BURNUP
CAPSULES
DEGASSING
DIFFUSION
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY
EVAPORATION
EXPANSION
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL CANS
GASES
GRAIN SIZE
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IRRADIATION
KRYPTON
LEAKS
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
NEUTRONS
NORTH AMERICA
OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY
PLANNING
RESEARCH REACTORS
SOLIDIFICATION
SPHERES
SUBLIMATION
TENNESSEE
TESTING
URANIUM DIOXIDE
USA
USAEC
XENON