Evaluation of fission gas release in high-burnup light water reactor fuel rods
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
Research to define the behavior of Zircaloy-clad light water reactor (LWR) UO[sub 2] fuel irradiated to high burnup levels was conducted as part of the High Burnup Effects Program (HBEP). The HBEP was a 12-yr program that ultimately acquired, characterized, irradiated, and examined after irradiation 82 LWR fuel rods ranging in rod-average fuel burnup from 22 to 69 MWd/kgM with a peak pellet burnup of 83 MWd/kg M. A principal emphasis of the HBEP was to evaluate the effect of high burnup on fission gas release. It was confirmed that fission gas release remained as dependent on design and irradiation history parameters at high burnup levels as at low to moderate burnup levels. One observed high-burnup effect was the development of a burnup-dependent microstructure at the fuel pellet surface when pellet-edge burnup exceeded 65 MWd/kgM. This low-temperature rim region' was characterized by a loss of optically definable grain structure, a high volume of porosity, and diffusion of fission gas from the UO[sub 2] matrix to the porosity. Although the rim region has the potential for enhanced fission gas release, it is concluded that no significant enhancement of rod-average fission gas release at high burnup levels was observed for the examined fuel rods.
- OSTI ID:
- 6802905
- Journal Information:
- Nuclear Technology; (United States), Journal Name: Nuclear Technology; (United States) Vol. 102:2; ISSN 0029-5450; ISSN NUTYBB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ALLOYS
BURNUP
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ENERGY SOURCES
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EVALUATION
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL PELLETS
FUEL RODS
FUELS
MATERIALS
MICROSTRUCTURE
NUCLEAR FUELS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PELLETS
POWER REACTORS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM OXIDES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
ZIRCALOY
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM BASE ALLOYS