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U.S. Department of Energy
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Breached fuel pin contamination from Run Beyond Cladding Breach (RBCB) tests in EBR-II

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6721149

Studies indicate there may be a large economic incentive to permit some continued reactor operation with breached fuel pin cladding. A major concern for this type of operation is the potential spread of contamination in the primary coolant system and its impact on plant maintenance. A study of the release and transport of contamination from naturally breached mixed oxide Liquid Metal Reactor (LMR) fuel pins was performed as part of the US Department of Energy/Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (DOE/PNC) Run Beyond Cladding Breach (RBCB) Program at EBR-II. The measurements were made using the Breached Fuel Test Facility (BFTF) at EBR-II with replaceable deposition samplers located approximately 1.5 meters from the breached fuel test assemblies. The effluent from the test assemblies containing the breached fuel pins was routed up through the samplers and past dedicated instrumentation in the BFTF before mixing with the main coolant flow stream. This paper discusses the first three contamination tests in this program. 2 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
6721149
Report Number(s):
PNL-SA-15346; CONF-881009-3; ON: DE89001476
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English