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Increasing TRIGA fuel lifetime with 12 wt.% U TRIGA fuel

Abstract

In-core fuel management studies have been performed for the Penn State Breazeale Reactor (PSBR) wherein 12 wt % U fuel elements are used to replace the standard 8.5 wt % U TRIGA fuel. The core configuration used to develop a calculational model was a 90-element hexagonal array, which is representative of the PSBR core, and consists of five hexagonal rings surrounding a central thimble containing water. The technique employed for refueling the core fully loaded with 8.5 wt % U fuel involves replacing 8.5 wt % U fuel with 12 wt % U fuel using an in-out reloading scheme. A batch reload consists of 6 new 12 wt % U fuel elements. Placing the 12 wt % U fuel in the B ring produces fuel temperatures ({approx}450 {sup o}C) that are well below the 800{sup o}C maximum limitation when the PSBR is operating at its maximum allowed power of 1 Megawatt. The advantages of using new 12 wt % U fuel to replace the burned up 8.5 wt % U fuel in the B ring over refueling strictly with 8.5 wt % U-Zr TRIGA fuel are clearly delineated in Table 1 where cost calculations used the General Atomic pre-1972 prices  More>>
Authors:
Naughton, W F; Cenko, M J; Levine, S H; Witzig, W F [1] 
  1. Pennsylvania State University (United States)
Publication Date:
Jul 01, 1974
Product Type:
Conference
Report Number:
INIS-US-09N0328; TOC-5
Resource Relation:
Conference: 3. TRIGA owners' conference, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 25-27 Feb 1974; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); 6 refs, 7 figs, 3 tabs; Related Information: In: 3. TRIGA owners' conference. Papers and abstracts, 432 pages.
Subject:
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; AUGMENTATION; COST; FUEL ELEMENTS; FUEL MANAGEMENT; LIFETIME; NUCLEAR FUELS; PRICES; STANDARDS; TRIGA TYPE REACTORS; WATER
OSTI ID:
21217734
Research Organizations:
General Atomic Co., San Diego, CA (United States)
Country of Origin:
United States
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
TRN: US09N0341086518
Availability:
Available from INIS in electronic form
Submitting Site:
INIS
Size:
page(s) 2.50-2.68
Announcement Date:
Oct 19, 2009

Citation Formats

Naughton, W F, Cenko, M J, Levine, S H, and Witzig, W F. Increasing TRIGA fuel lifetime with 12 wt.% U TRIGA fuel. United States: N. p., 1974. Web.
Naughton, W F, Cenko, M J, Levine, S H, & Witzig, W F. Increasing TRIGA fuel lifetime with 12 wt.% U TRIGA fuel. United States.
Naughton, W F, Cenko, M J, Levine, S H, and Witzig, W F. 1974. "Increasing TRIGA fuel lifetime with 12 wt.% U TRIGA fuel." United States.
@misc{etde_21217734,
title = {Increasing TRIGA fuel lifetime with 12 wt.% U TRIGA fuel}
author = {Naughton, W F, Cenko, M J, Levine, S H, and Witzig, W F}
abstractNote = {In-core fuel management studies have been performed for the Penn State Breazeale Reactor (PSBR) wherein 12 wt % U fuel elements are used to replace the standard 8.5 wt % U TRIGA fuel. The core configuration used to develop a calculational model was a 90-element hexagonal array, which is representative of the PSBR core, and consists of five hexagonal rings surrounding a central thimble containing water. The technique employed for refueling the core fully loaded with 8.5 wt % U fuel involves replacing 8.5 wt % U fuel with 12 wt % U fuel using an in-out reloading scheme. A batch reload consists of 6 new 12 wt % U fuel elements. Placing the 12 wt % U fuel in the B ring produces fuel temperatures ({approx}450 {sup o}C) that are well below the 800{sup o}C maximum limitation when the PSBR is operating at its maximum allowed power of 1 Megawatt. The advantages of using new 12 wt % U fuel to replace the burned up 8.5 wt % U fuel in the B ring over refueling strictly with 8.5 wt % U-Zr TRIGA fuel are clearly delineated in Table 1 where cost calculations used the General Atomic pre-1972 prices for TRIGA fuel, i.e., $1500 and $1650 for an 8.5 and 12 wt % U fuel element, respectively. Experimental results obtained to date utilizing the 12 wt % U fuel elements agree with the computed results. (author)}
place = {United States}
year = {1974}
month = {Jul}
}