Rod Consolidation of RG and E'S (Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation) Spent PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor) Fuel

摘要

The rod consolidation demonstration involved pulling the fuel rods from five fuel assemblies from Unit 1 of RG and E's R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant. Slow and careful rod pulling efforts were used for the first and second fuel assemblies. Rod pulling then proceeded smoothly and rapidly after some minor modifications were made to the UST and D consolidation equipment. The compaction ratios attained ranged from 1.85 to 2.00 (rods with collapsed cladding were replaced by dummy rods in one fuel assembly to demonstrate the 2:1 compaction ratio capability). This demonstration involved 895 PWR fuel rods, among which there were some known defective rods (over 50 had collapsed cladding); no rods were broken or dropped during the demonstration. However, one of the rods with collapsed cladding unexplainably broke during handling operations (i.e., reconfiguration in the failed fuel canister), subsequent to the rod consolidation demonstration. The broken rod created no facility problems; the pieces were encapsulated for subsequent storage. Another broken rod was found during postdemonstration cutting operations on the nonfuel-bearing structural components from the five assemblies; evidence indicates it was broken prior to any rod consolidation operations. During the demonstration, burnish-type lines or scratches were visible on the rods that were pulled; however, experience indicates that such lines are generally produced when rods are pulled (or pushed) through the spacer grids. Rods with collapsed cladding would not enter the funnel (the transition device between the fuel assembly and the canister that aids in obtaining high compaction ratios). Reforming of the flattened areas of the cladding on those rods was attempted to make the rod cross sections more nearly circular; some of the reformed rods passed through the funnel and into the canister. (ERA citation 12:036493)