2006 International RERTR Meeting

Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the Meeting

Results for the Recent Activities of Reduced Enrichment Program
for Research Reactors in Chile

Mario Barrera, Jaime Lisboa, Jorge Marin and Luis Olivares
Nuclear Materials Department
Chilean Commission for Nuclear Energy - CCHEN
Amunategui 95 - Postal Code 6500689
Santiago - Chile

and

Klaas Bakker, Fred. J. Wijtsma
Nuclear Research and consultancy Group - NRG
Petten
The Netherlands

ABSTRACT

The "Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors" RERTR Program, applied to RECH- 1 Chilean Research Reactor has been completed by May 11, 2006. Since this date, a core of 32 LEU fuel elements, fully fabricated in Chile, has been loaded and operated according to a project that included feasibility studies, conversion analysis, in-pile fuel qualification and licensing activities. The Chilean Fuel Qualification Program in the HFR-Petten, the Netherlands ended in April 2006. After successful irradiation during 16 cycles (388,3 FPD), the ²³⁵U depletion amounted to 64.5% ± 8.4%. A dismantled plate was submitted for PIE and the results were as expected. The final conclusion was that the irradiation qualification project was successful, and CCHEN is qualified as LEU fuel manufacturer. Related to UMo fuel development, the effects of adding Ti, Zr, Si and Ti+Zr to U-7wt%Mo alloy are being studied, and interdiffusional reaction layers between U-7wt%Mo-Me fuel particles and Al matrix have been analyzed in dispersion miniplates. Besides, the results of comparative studies of fuel meat swelling using U-7wt%Mo, U₃Si₂ and dummy miniplates exposed to high temperatures are presented.

 

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