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Steady-state irradiation testing of U-Pu-Zr fuel to >18% burnup

Conference ·
OSTI ID:7177201
;  [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Argonne National Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (USA)
  2. Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
Tests of austenitic stainless steel clad U-xP-10Zr fuel (x=o, 8, 19 wt. %) to peak burnups as high as 18.4 at. % have been completed in the EBR-II. Fuel swelling and fractional fission gas release are slowly increasing functions of burnup beyond 2 at. % burnup. Increasing plutonium content in the fuel reduces swelling and decreases the amount of fission gas which diffuses from fuel to plenum. LIFE-METAL code modelling of cladding strains is consistent with creep by fission gas loading and irradiation-induced swelling mechanisms. Fuel/cladding chemical interaction involves the ingress of rare-earth fission products. Constituent redistribution in the fuel had not limited steady-state performance. Cladding breach behavior at closure welds, in the gas plenum, and in the fuel column region have been benign events. 3 refs., 5 figs.
Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/NE
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
7177201
Report Number(s):
CONF-900804-25; ON: DE90011173
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English