Long-term RBCB (run-beyond-cladding-breach) operation of a mixed-oxide fuel subassembly in EBR-II (Experimental Breeder Reactor II)

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA)

OSTI ID:6528725

Bottcher, J H; Lambert, J D.B.; Strain, R V; Wisner, R S ^[1]; Ukai, S; Nomura, S

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1. Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)

The long-term run-beyond-cladding-breach (RBCB) performance of a fuel bundle with naturally breached mixed-oxide pins has been studied in Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) as part of a joint program between the US Department of Energy and the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation of Japan. The test objectives were to study RBCB pin behavior, breached pin-to-pin interaction, operating signals, and coolant contamination from end-of-life failures. The bundle was composed of 19 fuel pins containing 86% smear density (U{sub 0.75}Pu{sub 0.25})O{sub 1.97} in 5.84-mm-diam, 0.38-mm-thick 20% cold-worked Type 316 stainless cladding with a wirewrap pitch and diameter of 150 and 1.5 mm. This high-burnup RBCB test presented no difficulties to reactor operation, its contamination impact was minimal, and there was no experimental evidence of an active mechanism for pin-to-pin failure propagation in-reactor. These positive results have allowed more aggressive RBCB tests to be subsequently performed in EBR-II.

• OSTI ID: 6528725
• Report Number(s): CONF-891103--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA) Journal Volume: 60
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ACCIDENTS
ALKALI METALS
ASIA
BREEDER REACTORS
BURNUP
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COOLING SYSTEMS
CORROSION PRODUCTS
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FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL-COOLANT INTERACTIONS
FUELS
GASES
JAPAN
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LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
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METALS
MIXED OXIDE FUELS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NONMETALS
OPERATION
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RARE GASES
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
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SODIUM
SODIUM COOLED REACTORS
SOLID FUELS
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
XENON