Linear heat rating for incipient fuel melting in UO/sub 2/--PuO/sub 2/ fuel

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1974

OSTI ID:6786498

Leggett, R. D.; Ballard, E. O.; Baker, R. B.; Horn, G. R.; Dutt, D. S.

Results are presented for an experiment (HEDL-P-19) conducted in EBR-II to determine the effect of the initial, cold, diametral fuel-cladding gap size (3.2 to 10.0 mils) on the linear heat rating to incipient fuel melting, Q/sub m/, in mixed oxide (75% UO/sub 2/--25% PuO/sub 2/) fuel pins under very rapid LMFBR startup conditions. Eight 0.250 in. OD X 0.016 in. wall and eight 0.230 in. OD X 0.015 in. wall, He bonded pins clad with type 316 stainless steel (20% CW) were irradiated in an encapsulated pin subassembly in Row 2 of the EBR-II. Each fuel pellet was measured to +- 0.2 mil, weighed and its position in the 13/sup 1///sub 2/ in. long fuel column recorded. Most of the pellets were centerless ground to a predetermined size. Four pins--two of each size--contained pellets that were sintered to size. The fuel density and O/M of the 0.230 in. OD pins were 90.75% TD and 1.96, respectively. The 0.250 in. OD pins contained fuel with a density of 92.40% and an O/M of 1.97. This test was conducted to verify that no fuel melting will occur in the FTR at 115% of the 400 MW rating.

• Research Organization: Hanford Engineering Development Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-14-2170
• OSTI ID: 6786498
• Report Number(s): HEDL-SA-464; CONF-7411116-2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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