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Development and demonstration of an advanced extended-burnup fuel-assembly design incorporating urania-gadolinia. Second semi-annual progress report, October 1981-March 1982

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/8133685· OSTI ID:8133685
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The Babcock and Wilcox Company, Duke Power Company, and the US Department of Energy are participating in an extended-burnup program for pressurized water reactors that will demonstrate an advanced fuel assembly design. This advanced fuel assembly will use a UO/sub 2/-Gd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ burnable-poison fuel mixture along with other state-of-the-art fuel performance and uranium utilization-enhancing design features that include annular pellets, annealed guide tubes, Zircaloy intermediate grids, and removable upper end fittings. Comparisons of the thermal properties of UO/sub 2/-Gd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ specimens containing 2.98, 5.66, and 8.50 wt % Gd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ with UO/sub 2/ specimens showed that thermal conductivity is the only thermal parameter significantly affected by the addition of Gd/sub 2/O/sub 3/. The milling steps used to prepare UO/sub 2/-Gd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ powder result in a powder that is more active than standard UO/sub 2/ powder. As a result, UO/sub 2/-Gd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ fuel has shown more variability than UO/sub 2/ fuel in as-sintered theoretical density and densification behavior. However, a poreforming material, added to the UO/sub 2/-Gd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ powder mixture before sintering, can be used to achieve the desired density. Measured results from critical experiments were compared with predicted data and confirmed the accuracy of the standard two-group diffusion theory model for predicting global and discrete UO/sub 2/-Gd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ effects when cross-section input is appropriately adjusted. The preliminary first two fuel cycles for lead test assemblies of the advanced design were developed. Irradiation of the lead test assemblies is scheduled to begin in 1983 in Duke Power Company's Oconee Unit 1. An intercalibrated movable incore detector system will be used to monitor the performance of the test assemblies during irradiation.
Research Organization:
Babcock and Wilcox Co., Lynchburg, VA (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-78ET34212
OSTI ID:
8133685
Report Number(s):
DOE/ET/34212-36; BAW-1681-2; ON: DE83008575
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210200* -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
BURNABLE POISONS
BURNUP
CHALCOGENIDES
CRITICALITY
DESIGN
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
FABRICATION
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
GADOLINIUM COMPOUNDS
GADOLINIUM OXIDES
MATERIALS
NEUTRON ABSORBERS
NEUTRON DIFFUSION EQUATION
NUCLEAR POISONS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PWR TYPE REACTORS
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
SINTERING
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM OXIDES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS