Westinghouse VANTAGE+ fuel assembly to meet future PWR operating requirements

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA)

OSTI ID:5561338

Doshi, P K; Chapin, D L; Scherpereel, L R

Many utilities operating pressurized water reactors (PWRs) are implementing longer reload cycles. Westinghouse is addressing this trend with fuel products that increase fuel utilization through higher discharge burnups. Higher burnup helps to offset added enriched uranium costs necessary to enable the higher energy output of longer cycles. Current fuel products have burnup capabilities in the area of 40,000 MWd/tonne U or more. There are three main phenomena that must be addressed to achieve even higher burnup levels: accelerated cladding, waterside corrosion, and hydriding; increased fission gas production; and fuel rod growth. Long cycle lengths also require efficient burnable absorbers to control the excess reactivity associated with increased fuel enrichment while maintaining a low residual absorber penalty at the end of cycle. Westinghouse VANTAGE + PWR fuel incorporates features intended to enhance fuel performance at very high burnups, including advances in the three basic elements of the fuel assembly: fuel cladding, fuel rod, and fuel assembly skeleton. ZIRLO {sup TM} cladding, an advanced Zircaloy cladding that contains niobium, offers a significant improvement in corrosion resistance relative to Zircaloy-4. Another important Westinghouse PWR fuel feature that facilitates long cycles is the zirconium diboride integral fuel burnable absorber (ZrB{sub 2}IFBA).

• OSTI ID: 5561338
• Report Number(s): CONF-880601--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA) Journal Volume: 56
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210200* -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
ALLOYS
BORON
BURNABLE POISONS
BURNUP
ELEMENTS
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL CANS
FUEL MANAGEMENT
KINETICS
MATERIALS
NEUTRON ABSORBERS
NUCLEAR POISONS
PERFORMANCE
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTIVITY
REACTOR KINETICS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
SCHEDULES
SEMIMETALS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
ZIRCALOY
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM BASE ALLOYS