Status Of Irradiation Testing And Pie Of Mox Pu Containing Fuel

MOX fuel, a mixture of weapon-grade plutonium and natural or depleted uranium, may be used to deplete a portion of the world's surplus of weapon-grade plutonium. A number of reactors currently operate in Europe with one-third MOX cores, and others are scheduled to begin using MOX fuels in both Europe and Japan in the near future. While Russia has laboratory-scale MOX fabrication facilities, the technology remains under study. No fuels containing plutonium are used in the U.S. The 25 presentations in this book give an impressive overview of MOX technology. The following issues are covered: an up to date report on the disposition of ex-weapons Pu in Russia; an analysis of safety features of MOX fuel configurations of different reactor concepts and their operating and control measures; an exchange of information on the status of MOX utilisation in existing power plants, the fabrication technology of various MOX fuels and their behaviour in practice; a discussion of the typical national approaches by Russia and the western countries to the utilisation of Pu as MOX fuel; an introduction to new ideas, enhancing the disposition option of MOX fuel exploitation and destruction in existing and future advanced reactor systems; and the identification of common research areas where defined tasks can be initiated in cooperative partnership.

Post-irradiation examination (PIE) is an indispensable step in the selection of new or improved research reactor fuel, and in the characterization and understanding of its in-core behaviour. This publication provides an introduction to PIE techniques. It describes a typical PIE process from intercycle inspections in the reactor pool or channel, to hot cell PIE, which is subdivided into non-destructive and destructive testing techniques with their typical output, advantages and drawbacks, and their applicability to understanding fuel irradiation behaviour. Much of the work presented in this publication originated from the research and development of new low enriched uranium research reactor fuels. Intended readers include research reactor operators, regulators and their technical support organizations, fuel developers and manufacturers, laboratory staff, and policy makers.

Outlines the characteristics of heavy water reactors and provides an insight into the technology for specialists in countries where the establishment of nuclear power programmes is being considered. This report should serve as a reference for engineers and scientists working in the field, as well as for lecturers in nuclear technology.

Covers advances in nuclear fuel handling and fuel management and assesses their impact in increasing reactor availability

Post-irradiation examination (PIE) is an indispensable step in the selection of new or improved research reactor fuel, and in the characterization and understanding of its in-core behaviour. This publication provides an introduction to PIE techniques. It describes a typical PIE process from intercycle inspections in the reactor pool or channel, to hot cell PIE, which is subdivided into non-destructive and destructive testing techniques with their typical output, advantages and drawbacks, and their applicability to understanding fuel irradiation behaviour. Much of the work presented in this publication originated from the research and development of new low enriched uranium research reactor fuels. Intended readers include research reactor operators, regulators and their technical support organizations, fuel developers and manufacturers, laboratory staff, and policy makers.

Materials in a nuclear environment are exposed to extreme conditions of radiation, temperature and/or corrosion, and in many cases the combination of these makes the material behavior very different from conventional materials. This is evident for the four major technological challenges the nuclear technology domain is facing currently: (i) long-term operation of existing Generation II nuclear power plants, (ii) the design of the next generation reactors (Generation IV), (iii) the construction of the ITER fusion reactor in Cadarache (France), (iv) and the intermediate and final disposal of nuclear waste. In order to address these challenges, engineers and designers need to know the properties of a wide variety of materials under these conditions and to understand the underlying processes affecting changes in their behavior, in order to assess their performance and to determine the limits of operation. Comprehensive Nuclear Materials, Second Edition, Seven Volume Set provides broad ranging, validated summaries of all the major topics in the field of nuclear material research for fission as well as fusion reactor systems. Attention is given to the fundamental scientific aspects of nuclear materials: fuel and structural materials for fission reactors, waste materials, and materials for fusion reactors. The articles are written at a level that allows undergraduate students to understand the material, while providing active researchers with a ready reference resource of information. Most of the chapters from the first Edition have been revised and updated and a significant number of new topics are covered in completely new material. During the ten years between the two editions, the challenge for applications of nuclear materials has been significantly impacted by world events, public awareness, and technological innovation. Materials play a key role as enablers of new technologies, and we trust that this new edition of Comprehensive Nuclear Materials has captured the key recent developments. Critically reviews the major classes and functions of materials, supporting the selection, assessment, validation and engineering of materials in extreme nuclear environments Comprehensive resource for up-to-date and authoritative information which is not always available elsewhere, even in journals Provides an in-depth treatment of materials modeling and simulation, with a specific focus on nuclear issues Serves as an excellent entry point for students and researchers new to the field