Early-in-life performance of short rod duplex pellet screening (D-1) test (AWBA Development Program)

Technical Report · Sun Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6654077

Sphar, C D; Sherman, J

This report evaluates the early-in-life irradiation performance of the D-1 test. The D-1 test is a screening test of the duplex pellet prebreeder reactor fuel concept consisting of a cylindrical thoria pellet surrounded by an annulus containing urania enriched in uranium-235. The design of the test, which includes duplex pellet annuli of three different compositions (UO/sub 2/, UO/sub 2/-ZrO/sub 2/, and UO/sub 2/-ZrO/sub 2/-CaO), is described and results of nondestructive and destructive examinations after operation at 13 to 15 kW/ft for 32.6 days are presented. It is concluded that there are no deficiencies in the early-in-life performance of the duplex pellets. The UO/sub 2/-ZrO/sub 2/ annuli show greater densification than the other two fuel types; however, this does not result in detrimental performance. On the basis of these findings, test irradiation was continued.

• Research Organization: Bettis Atomic Power Lab., Pittsburgh, PA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC11-76PN00014
• OSTI ID: 6654077
• Report Number(s): WAPD-TM-1378; ON: DE83001688
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
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ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ANNULAR FUEL ELEMENTS
BREEDER REACTORS
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DEFORMATION
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL PELLETS
LWBR TYPE REACTORS
MICROSTRUCTURE
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PELLETS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
TESTING
THERMAL REACTORS
THORIUM COMPOUNDS
THORIUM OXIDES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM OXIDES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES