New Radiochemical Assay Experiments to Improve the Validation Basis for High Burnup Fuel

Funding

Under joint support from the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), ORNL is performing experiments to measure important actinides and fission products in 16 PWR spent fuel samples from fuel irradiated in the North Anna PWR. These samples were selected from six of the 25 sibling rods that have served for post-irradiation examinations performed by ORNL and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to study the effects of long-term storage and transportation for light-water reactor high-burnup fuel under the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) High Burnup Spent Fuel Data Project. The samples cover enrichments ranging from 3.6 to 4.5% 235U and cooling times ranging from 11 to 32 years. The samples have estimated burnups in the 30–60 GWd/MTU range. Seven of these 16 samples have estimated burnups higher than 60 GWd/MTU. Preliminary measurement data are available for nine of the samples, and the experimental effort is ongoing. This work was funded by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the US Department of Energy, Nuclear Energy Office (DOE/NE).