Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
2000 International RERTR Meeting

LEU WWR-M Fuel Assemblies Burnable Test

G.A. Kirsanov, K. A. Konoplev,. G. Pikulik, Yu. P. Sajkov, D. V. Tchmshkyan,
L. V. Tedoradze and A. S. Zakharov

Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute of Russian Academy of Science

The tests were conducted as a part of the Russian Federation Ministry of Atomic Energy (Minatom RF) program to decrease the enrichment of the exported research reactor fuel elements, and with the support of the Argonne National Laboratory, USA.

Abstract

The results of in-pile irradiation tests of LEU WWR-M2 fuel assemblies with reduced enrichment of fuel are submitted in the report. The tests are made according to the Russian Program on Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR). United States Department of Energy and the Ministry of Atomic Energy of Russian Federation jointly fund this Program.

The irradiation tests of 5 WWR-M2 experimental assemblies are carried out at WWR-M reactor of the Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute (PNPI).

The information on assembly design and technique of irradiation tests is presented. In the irradiation tests the integrity of fuel assemblies is periodically measured.

The report presents the data for the integrity maintained during the burnup of 5 fuel assemblies up to 45%. These results demonstrate the high reliability of the experimental fuel assemblies within the guaranteed burnup limits specified by the manufacturer. The tests are still in progress; it is planned to test and analyze the change in integrity for burnup of up to 70% - 75% or more.

LEU WWR-M2 fuel assemblies are to be offered for export by their Novosibirsk manufacturer. Currently, HEU WWR-M2 fuel assemblies are used in Hungary, Ukraine and Vietnam. LEU WWR-M2 fuel assemblies were designed as a possible replacement for the HEU WWR-M2 fuel assemblies in those countries, but their use can be extended to other research reactors.