End-of-life nondestructive examination of Light Water Breeder Reactor fuel rods (LWBR Development Program)

Technical Report · Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5561200· OSTI ID:5561200

Gorscak, D. A.; Campbell, W. R.; Clayton, J. C.

In-bundle and out-of-bundle (single rod) nondestructive examinations of Light Water Breeder Reactor fuel rods were performed. In-bundle examinations included visual examination and measurement of rod bow, rod-to-rod gaps, and rod removal forces. Out-of-bundle examinations included rod visuals and measurement of fuel rod length, diameter and ovality, cladding oxide and crud thickness, support grid induced cladding wear mark depth and volume, and fuel rod free hanging bow. The out-of-bundle examination also included ultrasonic inspection for cladding defects, neutron radiography for pellet integrity and plenum gap measurements, and gamma scans for instack axial gap screening and binary fuel stack length measurements. The measurements confirmed design predictions of fuel rod performance and provided evidence of excellent fuel rod performance for operation of Light Water Breeder Reactor to 29,047 effective full power hours (EFPH).

• Research Organization: Bettis Atomic Power Lab. (BAPL), West Mifflin, PA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC11-76PN00014
• OSTI ID: 5561200
• Report Number(s): WAPD-TM-1605; ON: DE88005094
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
FUEL RODS
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
POST-IRRADIATION EXAMINATION
LWBR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR CORES
CORROSION
DEFORMATION
DESIGN
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL CANS
OXIDATION
PERFORMANCE
REACTOR COMPONENTS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SWELLING
BREEDER REACTORS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DATA
FUEL ELEMENTS
INFORMATION
MATERIALS TESTING
NUMERICAL DATA
REACTORS
TESTING
THERMAL REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
210500* - Power Reactors
Breeding
210802 - Nuclear Power Plants- Economics- Fuel Cycle