Abstract
To predict the performance of nuclear fuels and materials, irradiated fuel plates must be characterized efficiently and accurately in highly radioactive environments. The characterization must take place remotely and work in settings largely inhospitable to modern digital instrumentation. Characterization techniques based on non-contacting laser sensing methods enable remote operation in a robust manner within a hot-cell environment. Laser characterization instrumentation can offer high spatial resolution and remain effective for scanning large areas. A laser shock (LS) system is currently being developed as a post-irradiation examination (PIE) technique in the hot fuel examination facility (HFEF) at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The laser shock technique will characterize material properties and failure loads/mechanisms in various composite components and materials such as plate fuel and next-generation fuel forms in high radiation areas. The laser shock-technique induces large amplitude shock waves to mechanically characterize interfaces such as the fuel–clad bond. As part of the laser shock system, a laser-based ultrasonic C-scan system will be used to detect and characterize debonding caused by the application of the laser shock. The laser shock system has been used to characterize the resulting bond strength within plate fuels which have been fabricated using different fabrication processes. The results of this study will be to select the fabrication process that provides the strongest interface.
Highlights
The United States High Performance Research Reactor (USHPRR) Fuel Development (FD) pillar is tasked with the development and qualification of a novel high density U–Mo alloy based fuel which will enable USHPRR conversions to low-enriched uranium (LEU)
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) fabricated and supplied to Idaho National Laboratory (INL) a series of fuel plate specimens in which fuel foils were fabricated by the baseline co-rolling process [9]
The resulting fuel plate bonds were evaluated by the laser shock (LS) bond strength measurement techniques under investigation by the program to access the capability for distinguishing bond strength variations due to potential fuel production upset conditions
Summary
The United States High Performance Research Reactor (USHPRR) Fuel Development (FD) pillar is tasked with the development and qualification of a novel high density U–Mo alloy based fuel which will enable USHPRR conversions to low-enriched uranium (LEU). The main FD project objective is to advance the technical means necessary to replace highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel with LEU fuel in research and test reactors. The use of LEU fuel must be done without significant penalties in performance, economics, or safety of the reactors. FD is focused on a milestone to convert all designated research reactors, foreign and domestic, to LEU fuel. A common reason for fuel failure in a reactor is the debonding of the fuel from Al cladding. The void initiated by a debond generates a localized rise in temperature that may cause fuel failure by melting the cladding
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