Thermal conductivity of Na/sub 3/(U/sub 1-y/Pu/sub y/O/sub 4/: a preliminary in-pile determination

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7148096

Lee, M J; Lambert, J D.B.; Ukai, S; Odo, T

During run-beyond-cladding-breach (RBCB) operation in an oxide liquid metal breeder, the performance of a breached fuel element is intimately associated with the formation of fuel/sodium reaction product (FSRP), Na/sub 3/(U/sub 1-y/Pu/sub y/)O/sub 4/. In-pile experiments coupled with destructive examinations of breached fuel have consistently revealed noticeable changes in fuel structure accompanying FSRP formation at the fuel surface. Previous analyses have also indicated a significant impact of FSRP on fuel centerline temperature. Successful modeling of breached fuel thermal behavior therefore requires a reasonably accurate knowledge of the thermal properties of the FSRP, especially its thermal conductivity. But laboratory investigations have been scarce and limited to the Na/UO/sub 2/ system because of the toxicity of plutonium and hygroscopicity of the FSRP. Hence, postirradiation observations of fuel samples remain the most amenable way of deriving the thermal conductivity of the FSRP. Such work is a spin-off of the RBCB program in the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II), a program jointly sponsored by the US Dept. of Energy and the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation of Japan.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7148096
• Report Number(s): CONF-8711195-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 55
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500* -- Power Reactors
Breeding
ACCIDENTS
ACCURACY
ASIA
BREEDER REACTORS
BURNUP
EBR-2 REACTOR
ENERGY TRANSFER
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FUEL ELEMENT FAILURE
FUEL-COOLANT INTERACTIONS
HEAT TRANSFER
JAPAN
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PERFORMANCE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POWER REACTORS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
SODIUM COOLED REACTORS
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS