Irradiation performance of nitride fuels
The properties and advantages of nitride fuels are well documented in the literature. Basically the high thermal conductivity and uranium density of nitride fuels permit high power density, good breeding ratios, low reactivity swings, and large diameter pins compared to oxides. Nitrides are compatible with cladding alloys and liquid metal coolants, thereby reducing fuel/cladding chemical interactions and permitting the use of sodium-bonded pins and the operation of breached pins. Recent analyses done under similar operating conditions show that - compared to metal - fuels mixed nitrides operate at lower temperatures, produce less cladding strain, have greater margins to failure, result in lower transient temperatures, and have lower sodium void reactivity. Uranium nitride fuel pellet fabrication processes were demonstrated during the SP-100 program, and irradiated nitride fuels can be reprocessed by the PUREX process. Irradiation performance data suggest that nitrides have low fission gas release and swelling rates thereby permitting favorable pin designs and long lifetime. The objective of this report is to summarize the available nitride irradiation performance data base and to recommend optimum nitride characteristics for use in advanced liquid metal reactors.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 7368772
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-93-2392; CONF-9309172-1; ON: DE93016522
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Specialist conference on space nuclear power and propulsion technologies: materials and fuels, Moscow (Russian Federation), 21-24 Sep 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
FUEL PELLETS
FABRICATION
FUEL PINS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
SPACE POWER REACTORS
NUCLEAR FUELS
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
FUEL-CLADDING INTERACTIONS
MICROSTRUCTURE
POST-IRRADIATION EXAMINATION
SWELLING
URANIUM NITRIDES
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ENERGY SOURCES
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUELS
MATERIALS
MOBILE REACTORS
NITRIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PELLETS
PNICTIDES
POWER REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
TESTING
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
210600* - Power Reactors
Auxiliary
Mobile Package
& Transportable
050700 - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties