Experimental results of the irradiation of long rod duplex pellet screening tests in the NRX reactor (NLDR-1 test) (AWBA Development Program)
One of the principal areas of investigation in the Advanced Water Breeder Applications (AWBA) program at the Bettis Laboratory is the duplex pellet concept. A duplex pellet consists of a cylindrical ThO/sub 2/ central pellet (fertile material) inside an oxide annulus of either UO/sub 2/, UO/sub 2/-ThO/sub 2/, or UO/sub 2/-ZrO/sub 2/-CaO (fissile material). The NLDR-1 test is one of several screening irradiation tests performed to investigate the behavior of duplex pellets. It consists of two 110-inch long, 0.3 inch diameter, Zircaloy-4 clad rods containing duplex pellets. One rod contained UO/sub 2/ annuli. The other rod contained UO/sub 2/-ZrO/sub 2/-CaO annuli. Both rods were irradiated in pressurized water loops in the NRX reactor to peak depletions of 76,000 MWd/MT U + TH (UO/sub 2/ rod) and 120,000 MWd/MT U + Th (UO/sub 2/-ZrO/sub 2/CaO rod) and average depletions of about 63,000 MWd/MT and about 100,000 MWd/MT, respectively. Peak linear power outputs were 15.3 kW/ft (UO/sub 2/ rod) and 13.9 kW/ft (UO/sub 2/-ZrO/sub 2/-CaO rod). Both rods were periodically removed from the reactor for nondestructive examinations.
- Research Organization:
- Bettis Atomic Power Lab., Pittsburgh, PA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC11-76PN00014
- OSTI ID:
- 6654046
- Report Number(s):
- WAPD-TM-1492; ON: DE83001849; TRN: 82-026866
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ANNULAR FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL-CLADDING INTERACTIONS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
LWBR TYPE REACTORS
URANIUM DIOXIDE
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
ZIRCALOY 4
DEFORMATION
FUEL PELLETS
THORIUM OXIDES
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ALLOYS
BREEDER REACTORS
CHALCOGENIDES
FUEL ELEMENTS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PELLETS
RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
TESTING
THERMAL REACTORS
THORIUM COMPOUNDS
TIN ALLOYS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM OXIDES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
ZIRCALOY
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM BASE ALLOYS
210500* - Power Reactors
Breeding
360206 - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Radiation Effects