HomeNuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials
Nuclear Power Reactor Fuel Engineering
Nuclear power reactor fuel research and development, design and manufacturing
Contact: Victor INOZEMTSEV
This project assists Member States in improving their research and technological capabilities, thus enabling them to use, develop, design and manufacture reliable and economically viable core structurals and fuels for nuclear power reactors.
About the Project:
Reliable and safe operation of nuclear fuel depends on its proper design and manufacturing. In-reactor requirements of the core materials are extremely high, and that defines a need for detailed R&D work as a basis for all stages of implementing nuclear power technologies.
The harmonization and transfer of critical methodologies, QA/QC, and certification and licensing procedures in power reactor fuel technologies are of great importance to both Member States that have operating reactors and those embarking on nuclear power generation.
The growing operational load on nuclear fuel and the gradual introduction of innovative nuclear power technologies require the application of modern sophisticated experimental techniques and advanced theoretical models for developing and perfecting fuel and core structural materials able to meet these demands.
Emphasis is given to the analysis of the impact of different design and technological factors on the irradiation behaviour of advanced fuels under high burnup.
2011 Activities:
- Next Plenary Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Water Reactor Fuel Performance and Technology (TWGFPT) , 27–29 April 2011, Vienna
- Technical Meeting on Hot Cell Post-Irradiation Examination and Pool-Side Inspection of Nuclear Fuel, 23–27 May 2011, Smolenice, Slovakia.
- Technical Meeting on Design, Manufacturing and Radiation Behaviour of FR Fuels, June 2011 – to be held in Russia, Location will be announced.
- Design and Operational Characteristics of Mixed Cores. CS and report planned 2011–2012.
- Fuel Quality and Reliability (Nuclear Energy Series Guide, to be published in 2011)
2010 Activities:
- 2010 TWGFPT intermediate meeting and report.
- Final Report for the DHC-II CRP (2005–2009) on Delayed Hydride Cracking of Zirconium Alloy Fuel Cladding.
- Technical Meeting and TECDOC on Advanced Pellet Materials and Fuel Rod Designs for Water Cooled Power Reactors. (IAEA-TECDOC-1654).
- TECDOC on Post-Irradiation Examination and In-Pile Measurement Techniques for Water Reactor Fuels. (IAEA-TECDOC-1635)
- Joint ICTP/IAEA Advanced Workshop on Multi-scale Modelling for Characterization and Basic Understanding of Radiation Damage Mechanisms in Materials, 12–23 April 2010, Miramare-Trieste, Italy.
- Technical Meeting on Current Issues and Challenges in Fuel Quality and Reliability Assurance, 13–15 December 2010, Vienna, Austria.
