Fuel Element Powers, sup 235 U Masses, and Burnups from gamma-Scanning Data: Preliminary Analysis of Irradiated ORR (Oak Ridge Research Reactor) LEU Fuel Elements.

摘要

Fuel elements used in the ORR whole-core LEU fuel demonstration have been gamma-scanned to determine axial distributions of sup 149 La and sup 137 Cs fission product activities. This data has been analyzed to determine cycle-averaged fuel element powers, residual sup 235 U masses, and burnups of discharged fuel elements. Methods used to analyze the data are discussed and results are presented for the LEU fuel elements. Measured and calculates fuel element powers agree to within 5%, residual sup 235 U masses to within 2%, and burnups to within 3%. These results are somewhat preliminary and await improved burnup calculations and independent calibration data to be based on the destructive analyses of a number of irradiated fuel elements. 4 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs. (ERA citation 14:014762)