Research on Manufacturing Technology of China Experimental Fast Reactor Fuel Rod

Abstract

CEFR, which is the acronym of China Experimental Fast Reactor, as the fourth generation advanced nuclear power system, plays a very important role in the development of nuclear industry in the future. Currently, as a kind of study, has not yet formed a fuel rod and fuel assembly manufacturing company in China. Realizing the localization of fast reactor fuel rod, fuel assembly and equipment has a very positive meaning to China’s nuclear industry development. At the same time for the CJNF’s development, promoting the manufacture level and scientific research technology of product, the research plays an extremely important role. In this paper, a fuel rod extrusion pit device and a fuel rod cladding pipe wire equipment have been designed according to the characteristic of fast reactor components. The fuel rod extrusion pit device to ensure pit deepness is 1.8–2.0mm, the radius of pit is 3mm, three pits into each other 120°, deviation is ±5°, the distance is 450.4±0.3mm. And the fuel rod cladding pipe wire equipment meet the product technical requirements for the pitch of 100±5mm, each distance deviation shall not be more than ±15mm, wire tension force for 100±20N. Massive tests on the extrude pits, press plug, load pellet, wire and spot welding, fuel rods ring welding and other important process step have been conducted and develop a set of optimized production plan. Fast reactor fuel rods structure have a enormous difference with the past other types of products have, the control of the input power for welding and an increase in the pressure of sealed welding chambers have been employed and avoided the problem of weld inflatable and weld porosity successfully. Results showed that the study on manufacturing of fast reactor fuel rod achieves success and realize the localization of fast reactor fuel rod in CJNF.