Abstract
During 2009 and- 2010, new test capability for the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was developed that allows testing of advanced nuclear fuels and cladding under prototypic light-water-reactor (LWR) operating conditions (i.e., cladding and fuel temperatures, fuel average linear heat generation rates, and cladding fluence).
For the initial experiments for this test program, ORNL teamed with commercial fuel/cladding vendors who have developed an advanced composite-wound SiC cladding material for possible use in LWRs. The first experiment, containing SiC-clad UN fuel, was inserted in HFIR in June 2010, and the second experiment, containing SiC-clad UO2 fuel, was inserted in October 2010. Two capsules (one containing UN fuel and the other UO2) were withdrawn from their respective assemblies in November 2011 at an estimated fuel burnup of approximately 10 GWd/MTHM; and two capsules (one containing UN fuel and the other UO2) were withdrawn from their respective assemblies in February 2013 at an estimated fuel burnup of approximately 20 GWd/MTHM. These capsules are currently awaiting PIE. This paper will describe the experiment, as-run operating conditions for these capsules, and current PIE plans and status.
