Dimensional stability of low enriched uranium silicide plate-type fuel for research reactors at transient conditions

Abstract

This paper describes the result of transient experiments using low enriched uranium silicide plate-type fuel for research reactors. The pulse irradiation was carried out at Nuclear Safety Research Reactor (NSRR) in Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. The results obtained were: (1) At fuel plate temperature of below 400°C, a good dimensional stability of the tested fuel was kept. No fuel failure occurred. (2) At a plate temperature of about 540°C, a local crack was initiated on the Al-3%Mg alloy cladding. Once the cladding temperature exceeded the melting point of 640°C, the fuel plate was degraded much by increased bowing and cracking of the denuded fuel meat occurred after relocation of molten Al cladding. Despite of these degradation, neither fragmentation of the fuel plate nor mechanical energy generation occurred up to the cladding temperature of 971°C. (3) At the temperatures of around 925°C, the reaction of silicide particles with molten Al in the matrix and that of cladding occurred, forming Al riched U (Al, Si) compounds and Si riched (U, Si) compounds at the outermost surface of the silicide particles.