Zircaloy-Sheathed Fuel Element Rods Fitted with Thermocouples; BARRE COMBUSTIBLE A THERMOCOUPLE, GAINEE DE ZIRCALOY

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1963

OSTI ID:4158272

de Sigoyer, B B; Jacques, F; Thome, P

In order to carry out thermal conductivity measurements on UO/sub 2/ in conditions similar to those under which fuel rods are used, it was necessary to measure the temperature at the interior of a fuel element sheathed in Zircaloy. The temperatures are taken with Thermocoax type thermocouples, that is to say fitted with a very thin sheath of stainless steel or Inconel. It is known also that fusion welding of Zircaloy onto stainless steel is impossible and that high temperature welded joints are very difficult because of their agressiveness. The technique used consists in brazing the thermocouples to relatively large stainless steel parts and then joining these plugs by electron bombardment welding to diffused stainless steel-Zircaloy couplings. The properties of these diffused couplings and of the brazed joints were studied; the various stages in the fabrication of the containers are also described. (auth)

• Research Organization: France. Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique. Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires, Saclay
• NSA Number: NSA-18-000575
• OSTI ID: 4158272
• Report Number(s): CEA-2290
• Country of Publication: France
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ALUMINUM ALLOYS
BRAZING
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
DIFFUSION
ELECTRON BEAMS
FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
INCONEL ALLOYS
MEASURED VALUES
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NIOBIUM ALLOYS
STAINLESS STEELS
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMOCOUPLES
TITANIUM ALLOYS
URANIUM DIOXIDE
WELDING
ZIRCALOY