High-Burnup PWR Ramp Test Program. Rodlet Fabrication, Base-Irradiation and Interim Examination Results. Part 2. 20 Ramp Tests

摘要

The objective of this program, which is sponsored by DOE and conducted by Combustion Engineering and Kraftwerk Union, is to investigate the power ramp behavior of high burnup PWR-type fuel under fast power ramp conditions. This will be accomplished by reporting the test results from 68 previously ramped fuel rodlets (Part 1 of the program) and performing twenty ramp tests on rodlets having approximately 33 and 45 GWd/MTU burnup (Part 2). Included among these tests are rodlets having modified designs to determine if such designs will improve PCI behavior. The rodlets are first irradiated in a power reactor in Germany and then ramp tested in the High Flux Reactor at Petten, Netherlands. This report covers the fabrication, base-irradiation and interim hot-cell examination results of the 20 rodlets to be ramp tested in Part 2 of the program. (ERA citation 08:009792)