Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
2002 International RERTR Meeting
LEU WWR-M2 FUEL QUALIFICATION
K.A. Konoplev, R.G. Pikulik, A.S. Zakharov, L.V. Tedoradze, G.V. Paneva, D.V.Tchmshkyan
Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences
PNPI, OrlovaRoscha, Gatchina, 188300, Russia
ABSTRACT
LEU WWR-M2 fuel elements have been
developed for supplies from Russia
abroad. They are intended for the use in the pool type research
reactors.
The goal of the tests was to obtain data needed for the proof by the
manufacturer of its warranty on the fuel element performance. As a
representative amount, 5 FA were taken with the 19,75% enrichment. The test was
conducted in the WWR-M reactor core in the conditions being close to or somewhat
more strict that those specified in the manufacturer-factory’s technical
specification. By the main parameter – permissible burning depth – the tests
were conducted up to the burning of 75-80% at the factory’s warranty of 40%. In
the course of tests, FA were multiply re-loaded into various cells of the core
with changes of their thermal loads and the surfase temperature. Thermal loads
was in ranges from 20 to 320 kW/l the wall temperature – from 70 to 95оС.
The cooling water velocity was practically constant equal to 4 m/s;
the chemical composition of the coolant was also constant. The time of fuel
element operation on power was about 400 days, and the full duration of tests
took more than 3 years.
A distinctive feature of these tests was systematic quantitative measurements
of the FA leak tightness degree in the course of burning. For this purpose, in
the course of burning FA were unloaded periodically from the core and loaded
into the test loop. In the loop, FA was under the load being somewhat less than
that in the core. The ratio of the amount of fission-fragment products coming
out from FA into the loop coolant to the amount of fission-fragment products
being generated for the same time due to the fission of uranium in FA. This
ratio called the non-integrity coefficient (β) was compared with the value
permissible for the safe operation of the reactor. Findings coefficients (β) in
course of burning also is compared for some different types of fuel.
Even at the maximal achieved burning of 80%, β did not exceed 5.10-6, which is
far less that the permissible value and is at the level being typical for the
reactor operation.
The tests were stopped at 80% of burning due to inexpedience of deeper
burning. As a result, the operability of WWR-M2 fuel elements with the
enrichment of less than 20% has been proved not only up to the value of 40% or
60% being required by factory but also to a level being approximately twice as
much deeper.
LEU WWR-M2 fuel assemblies are recommended and accepted for serial production.
The work has been performed within the framework of the program of the Ministry
of Atomic Energy of the Russian Federation and the US Department of Energy.
Financial provision was under ANL and Concern TVEL.
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Contact:
Dr. Kir Konoplev
Deputy Director
Petersburg Nuclear Physics
Institute
Neutron Research
Department
Orlova Roscha,
Gatchina 188200
Russian Federation
Phone: (7 81271)
46735
Fax: (7 81271) 31282
E-mail: [email protected]