Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
2002 International RERTR Meeting
CERCA UMo DEVELOPMENT
Ch. JAROUSSE - J.P. DURAND - Y. LAVASTRE - M. GRASSE
from CERCA - ZI Les Bérauds - 26104 ROMANS (FRANCE)
ABSTRACT
Considered as a suitable solution for non-proliferation and reprocessing purposes, UMo fuel has been chosen and studied by the RERTR program since 1996. Through the French working group whose aim is to qualify UMo before 2006, CERCA is in the process of qualifying the fabrication of U 7 % Mo with a density of up to 8 g Ucm-3.
With a statistical process control (SPC) basis in the workshop and a wide experience of more than 20 years in the silicide and aluminide fuel element, CERCA has already shown its ability to manufacture UMo fuel. In 1999, for the first time in the world, seven full size plates of U-7Mo with a density of 8 g U cm-3 had been manufactured. Fabricated with machining powder, this first fabrication had allowed CERCA to define the adjustment needed to improve quality and delivery. Thanks to these first encouraging results, improvement axes have been set up for the second fabrication. Manufacture of U-7Mo full-scale plates is scheduled for 2002 using atomized powder.
This paper focuses first of all on the manufacturing results obtained on full scale plates manufactured in 2002 for the French UMo group. The plates are planned to be irradiated in OSIRIS and BR2 reactors. In a second section, we introduce the orientations and achievements which CERCA has already implemented so as to be able to produce in 2006 U-7Mo fuel through an industrial process which will lead to cost reduction, while retaining quality and on-time delivery.
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Contact:
Mr. Christophe Jarousse
Engineer
CERCA
Les Bérauds, BP 1114
26104
Romans-sur-Isère cedex, France
Phone: (33 4) 7505
6145
Fax: (33 4) 7505
5636
E-mail: [email protected]