2006 International RERTR Meeting

Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the Meeting

Update on Uranium-Molybdenum Fuel Foil Fabrication Development
at the Y-12 National Security Complex

R. Dunavant, A. DeMint, J. Holt
Y-12 National Security Complex
P.O. Box 2009
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-8245

ABSTRACT

The Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) Program was initiated by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) with the goal of developing the technologies necessary for research reactor core conversions from highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU). Many of the remaining HEU research reactors have fissile atom density requirements too high to be met by existing LEU fuel types, thus forcing new fuel developments. The most promising of which has been the production of high-density, LEU, monolithic uranium-molybdenum (U-Mo) fuels, in which the fuel meat is comprised entirely of a single foil of the U-Mo alloy. In support of RERTR program goals, efforts are underway at Y-12 to develop and validate a production oriented, monolithic U-Mo foil fabrication process adaptable for potential implementation in a manufacturing environment. These efforts also include providing full-scale prototype enriched U-Mo foils to the RERTR program in support of qualification testing. The work will be approached in three phases. The initial phase of the work at Y-12 consists of the development and demonstration of foil fabrication process techniques utilizing DU-10Mo source material. The next phase of the work will be to transition the production techniques from depleted to enriched uranium and to provide enriched U-Mo test foils. The final phase of the work will evaluate full-scale implementation of the developed production techniques. Y-12 has completed the initial phase of the work via the development of production techniques and the successful fabrication of DU-10Mo foils. A description of Y-12's endeavors regarding the execution of these efforts is presented herein.

 

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