OVER VIEW OF POST-IRRADIATION EXAMINATION FACILITIES FOR FUELS AND MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT OF FAST REACTOR

摘要

The hot cell complex for post-irradiation examination of the fast reactor fuels and materials was constructed and has been operated at the o-arai engineering center of Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute. The complex Consists of three hot cell facilities. They are the Fuel Monitoring Facility (FMF), the Alpha-Gamma Facility (AGF) and the Materials Monitoring Facility (MMF).rnThe FMF is located adjacent to the experimental fast reactor "JOYO" and started operation in November 1978. In this facility, nondestructive examination of fuel subassemblies and other core components, in addition to some destructive examination of fuel and absorber pins, are carried out. The selected pins and materials, sectioned to the appropriate size at the FMF, are sent to the AGF and the MMF for further detailed examinations.rnThe AGF has been operated successfully since October 1971. The functions of this facility are the physical, metallurgical and chemical examinations of irradiated plutonium-bearing fuels.rnThe MMF was constructed at 1972 and has been operated since 1973 for the reactor materials. In this facility, various tests are conducted on core materials, structural material and control rod materials irradiated in fast reactor. Structural materials irradiated in JMTR and pressure tubes irradiated in prototype advanced thermal reactor "Fugen" are also examined.