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Irradiation of three T-111 clad uranium nitride fuel pins for 8070 hours at 990/sup 0/C (1815/sup 0/F)

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6861885· OSTI ID:6861885
The design and successful operation of three tantalum alloy (Ta-8W-2Hf) clad uranium mononitride (UN) fuel pins irradiated for 8070 h at 990/sup 0/C (1815/sup 0/F) is described. Two pin diameters having measured burnups of 0.47 and 0.90 uranium atom percent were tested. No clad failures or swelling was detected; however, postirradiation clad samples tested failed with 1 percent strain. The fuel density decrease was 2 percent, and the fission gas release was less than 0.05 percent. Isotropic fuel swelling, which averaged about 0.5 percent, was less than fuel pin assembly clearances. Thus the clad was not strained. Thermocouples with a modified hot zone operated at average temperatures to 1100/sup 0/C (2012/sup 0/F) without failure. Factors that influence the ability to maintain uniform clad temperature as well as the results of the heat transfer calculations are discussed.
Research Organization:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH (USA). Lewis Research Center
OSTI ID:
6861885
Report Number(s):
N-73-31614; NASA-TM-X-2878; ON: TI84900933
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English