Abstract
The Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Qualification and Development Program's second irradiation experiment focuses on the performance of fuel particles produced in an industrial-scale coating system. Ongoing post-irradiation examination efforts include exploration of tristructural-isotropic (TRISO)-coated particle fuel in the as-irradiated state and subjected to elevated temperatures to simulate accident conditions (safety testing). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was used to show the distribution of fission products within the TRISO layers. The SEM analysis showed a variation of fission product distribution within the TRISO layers based on irradiation temperature, burnup, individual particle fission product inventory retention, safety testing history and kernel composition. A key observation is that particles which likely experienced higher temperature showed a greater diversity and distribution of fission products and actinides in the IPyC and SiC layers, implying that temperature is a dominant variable influencing the transport of radionuclides in TRISO particles.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 110656 |
| Journal | Nuclear Engineering and Design |
| Volume | 364 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 1 2020 |
Funding
This work was sponsored by the US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy through the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Advanced Reactor Technologies Technology Development Office as part of the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program. Analysis of leach solutions was provided by the ORNL Nuclear Analytical Chemistry & Isotopics Laboratory. Hot cell activities were supported by staff members of the ORNL Irradiated Fuels Examination Laboratory and the INL Hot Fuel Examination Facility.
Keywords
- Advanced Gas Reactor
- Fission product transport
- Post-irradiation examination
- TRISO