High-pressure capsule for the irradiation of fuel swelling specimens in the FR2 reactor

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1977 · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5356420

Haefner, H E

Designing advanced fuel element concepts for fast breeder reactors and assessing by models the fuel rod behavior over the intended in-pile time require information about creeping and swelling in the nuclear fuels under in-pile conditions. A new series of experiments serves the concrete purpose of a quantitative assessment of the parameters of carbides as potential fast breeder fuels, carbide being more susceptible to swelling than oxides. The loading of the specimen is given by the cladding restraint with the swelling fuel, and does not cause any undue expansion of the cladding of realistic fuel rods under operating conditions. This permissible contact pressure is generally below 300 bar (30 MPa). In an in-pile capsule recently developed, fuel specimens having the form of thin annular pellets may be exposed to omnilateral loads of up to 50 N/mm/sup 2/ by an aerostatic gas pressure of 500 bar (50 MPa) maximum at temperatures of up to approximately 1800/sup 0/C. The swelling of the fuel after various burnups under different test conditions will be measured in a postirradiation examination. Because of the extraordinary stress exerted upon these high-pressure capsules under irradiation conditions, extensive preliminary tests and trials were necessary. A first prototype rig with two swelling specimen capsules containing five annular UO/sub 2/ pellets each has now been successfully tested in the FR2 reactor over an in-pile period of 170 days. In this case, the fuel temperatures were approximately 1350/sup 0/C, and the specimen stresses were 45 N/mm/sup 2/. Further experiments are planned with (U, Pu)C-fuel up to 1800/sup 0/C and 50 N/mm/sup 2/.

• Research Organization: Inst. of Materials and Solid State Research, Karlsruhe, Ger.
• OSTI ID: 5356420
• Journal Information: Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 34:1; ISSN NUTYB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
220600* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
BREEDER REACTORS
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
DESIGN
ENERGY SOURCES
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FR-2 REACTOR
FUELS
HEAVY WATER COOLED REACTORS
HEAVY WATER MODERATED REACTORS
IRRADIATION
IRRADIATION CAPSULES
IRRADIATION REACTORS
ISOTOPE PRODUCTION REACTORS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
NATURAL URANIUM REACTORS
NUCLEAR FUELS
PLUTONIUM CARBIDES
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SWELLING
TANK TYPE REACTORS
TEST REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM CARBIDES
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE