TY - JOUR
T1 - Microstructural analysis of MTR fuel plates damaged by a coolant flow blockage
AU - Leenaers, Ann
AU - Joppen, Frank
AU - Van den Berghe, Sven
N1 - Score = 10
PY - 2009/10
Y1 - 2009/10
N2 - In 1975, as a result of a blockage of the coolant inlet flow, two plates of a fuel element of the BR2 reactor of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCKCEN) were partially melted. The fuel element consisted of Al-clad plates with 90% 235U enriched UAlx fuel dispersed in an Al matrix. The element had accumulated
a burn up of 21% 235U before it was removed from the reactor. Recently, the damaged fuel plates were sent to the hot laboratory for detailed PIE.
Microstructural changes and associated temperature markers were used to identify several stages in the progression to fuel melting. It was found that the temperature in the center of the fuel plate had increased above 900–950 C before the reactor was scrammed. In view of the limited availability of such
datasets, the results of this microstructural analysis provide valuable input in the analysis of accident scenarios for research reactors.
AB - In 1975, as a result of a blockage of the coolant inlet flow, two plates of a fuel element of the BR2 reactor of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCKCEN) were partially melted. The fuel element consisted of Al-clad plates with 90% 235U enriched UAlx fuel dispersed in an Al matrix. The element had accumulated
a burn up of 21% 235U before it was removed from the reactor. Recently, the damaged fuel plates were sent to the hot laboratory for detailed PIE.
Microstructural changes and associated temperature markers were used to identify several stages in the progression to fuel melting. It was found that the temperature in the center of the fuel plate had increased above 900–950 C before the reactor was scrammed. In view of the limited availability of such
datasets, the results of this microstructural analysis provide valuable input in the analysis of accident scenarios for research reactors.
KW - MTR fuel
KW - UAlx
KW - coolant flow blockage
UR - http://ecm.sckcen.be/OTCS/llisapi.dll/open/ezp_101535
UR - http://knowledgecentre.sckcen.be/so2/bibref/6293
U2 - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2009.08.014
DO - 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2009.08.014
M3 - Article
SN - 0022-3115
VL - 394
SP - 87
EP - 94
JO - Journal of Nuclear Materials
JF - Journal of Nuclear Materials
IS - 1
ER -