Preliminary Test Results for Post Irradiation Examination on the HTTR Fuel

• Published in: Journal of nuclear science and technology Vol. 44; no. 8; pp. 1081 - 1088
• Main Authors: UETA, Shohei, UMEDA, Masayuki, SAWA, Kazuhiro, SOZAWA, Shizuo, SHIMIZU, Michio, ISHIGAKI, Yoshinobu, OBATA, Hiroyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Taylor & Francis Group 01.08.2007; Atomic Energy Society of Japan
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; fuel; Fuels; high burnup; HTGR; HTTR; Nuclear fuels; post-irradiation test; Preparation and processing of nuclear fuels; SiC-coated fuel particle; Asia; Japan; Scanning electron microscopy; High temperature reactor; fuel; HTTR; post-irradiation test; Nuclear reactor; Silicon carbide; HTGR; Reactor material; high burnup; Post-irradiation examination; Performance; SiC-coated fuel particle; Coated fuel particles; Reactor core
• ISSN: 0022-3131; 1881-1248
• DOI: 10.1080/18811248.2007.9711349

The future post-irradiation program for the first-loading fuel of the HTTR is scheduled using the HTTR fuel handling facilities and the Hot Laboratory in the Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR) to confirm its irradiation resistance and to obtain data on its irradiation characteristics in the core. This report describes the preliminary test results and the future plan for a post-irradiation examination for the HTTR fuel. In the preliminary test, fuel compacts made with the same SiC-coated fuel particle as the first loading fuel were used. In the preliminary test, dimension, weight, fuel failure fraction, and burnup were measured, and X-ray radiograph, SEM, and EPMA observations were carried out. Finally, it was confirmed that the first-loading fuel of the HTTR showed good quality under an irradiation condition. The future plan for the post-irradiation tests was described to confirm its irradiation performance and to obtain data on its irradiation characteristics in the HTTR core.