Metal fuel test program in the Fast Flux Test Facility

Conference · Thu Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:7044113

Pitner, A L; Baker, R B

This report discusses irradiation testing of metal fuel assemblies in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) which has demonstrated the viability of this robust fuel design for liquid metal reactor applications. This fuel design provides high burnup capability with reduced fabrication costs relative to standard mixed-oxide FFTF driver fuel assemblies. Development of this fuel design required the establishment of innovative sodium bonding technology as well as special techniques for sodium bond quality verification. Eight metal fuel test assemblies have been irradiated under demanding conditions to burnups as high as 143 MWd/kgM with no indication of pin breach. The unique FFTF instrumentation system has permitted the in situ observation of axial fuel growth in metal fuel assemblies.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Hanford Co., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-87RL10930
• OSTI ID: 7044113
• Report Number(s): WHC-SA-1579; CONF-921102--53; ON: DE93004486
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
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BURNUP
COST
ENERGY SOURCES
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FABRICATION
FAST REACTORS
FFTF REACTOR
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUELS
IRRADIATION
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
MATERIALS
MIXED OXIDE FUELS
NUCLEAR FUELS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SODIUM COOLED REACTORS
SOLID FUELS
TEST REACTORS
TESTING