LMFBR fuel bundle distortion characterization using neutron tomography and potting

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Mater. Eval.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6496771

Betten, P R; Tow, D M

A standard liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) subassembly used in the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBRII) was investigated for fuel bundle distortion by both nondestructive and destructive methods, and the results from both methods were compared. The nondestructive method employed neutron tomography to reconstruct the locations of fuel elements through the use of a maximum entropy reconstruction algorithm known as MENT. The destructive method consisted of ''potting'' (a technique that embeds and permanently fixes the fuel elements in a solid matrix) the subassembly and then cutting and polishing the individual sections. The comparison indicated that the tomography reconstruction provided good results in describing the bundle geometry and spacer-wire locations, with the overall resolution being on the order of a spacer-wire diameter. A dimensional consistency check indicated that the element and spacer-wire dimensions were accurately reproduced in the reconstruction. It was found that in situ fuel elements deform axially in a helical spiral and that the reconstruction was able to identify this helical distortion to within approximately half of a spacerwire diameter.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL
• OSTI ID: 6496771
• Journal Information: Mater. Eval.; (United States), Journal Name: Mater. Eval.; (United States) Vol. 42:6; ISSN MAEVA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
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Breeding
BREEDER REACTORS
COMPUTER CODES
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
DEFORMATION
DESTRUCTIVE TESTING
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
EBR-2 REACTOR
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EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL ELEMENT CLUSTERS
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL WIRES
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
M CODES
MATERIALS TESTING
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POWER REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
SODIUM COOLED REACTORS
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THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TOMOGRAPHY