INSTRUMENTED CAPSULE FOR TEST OF NUCLEAR FUEL IRRADIATION USING IRRADIATION HOLE OF RESEARCH REACTOR, CAPABLE OF MEASURING CHARACTERISTICS OF NUCLEAR FUEL IN REAL TIME BASIS DURING IRRADIATION TEST

摘要

PURPOSE: An instrumented capsule is provided to measure characteristics of nuclear fuel in a real time basis during irradiation test, and allow for simultaneous test of a wide variety of nuclear fuels. CONSTITUTION: An instrumented capsule comprises a capsule unit, an instrumented unit, a protection pipe(130), a connection tree, a guide pipe(180), and a grapple head assembly(190). The capsule unit includes an outer case(10); a nuclear fuel rod assembly(50) having a plurality of irradiation test nuclear fuel rods(30); a plurality of support tubes(11,13) inserted into the outer case so as to fix the nuclear fuel rod assembly; an upper end plate(60) and a lower end plate(70) coupled to the top and bottom of the outer case, respectively; a rod tip(80) coupled to the lower end plate; a support spring interposed between the lower end plate and the rod tip; and a rod tip fixing ring coupled to the top of the rod tip. The instrumented unit includes a plurality of thermo-couplers arranged in nuclear fuel sintered bodies in the nuclear fuel rod assembly; and a plurality of self-powered neutron detectors arranged on a housing support rod(250) of the nuclear fuel rod assembly. The protection pipe is coupled to the top of the upper end plate and extended upward so as to protect a plurality of instrumented lines. The connection tree is coupled to the top of the protection pipe and branched off into a vertical extension portion and an inclined extension portion. The guide pipe is connected to the inclined extension portion and guides the instrumented lines to a control unit arranged outside of a reactor. The grapple head assembly is coupled to the top of the vertical extension portion.