Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section
Nuclear Power Reactor Fuel Engineering
Promoting best practices in fuel design and manufacturing and the implementation of new fuel types
Objective: To unify and transfer critical methodologies in water reactor fuel quality assurance, control and certification with regard to fuel design, fabrication and utilization; to support advanced technologies for sustainable nuclear power development.
Responsible Officer: Victor INOZEMTSEV
Details: On one hand, harmonization of nuclear fuel cultures, i.e. unification and transfer of critical methodologies in water reactor fuel quality assurance, control and certification (regarding fuel design, fabrication and utilization) to countries embarking in nuclear power, is of utmost importance to ensure sustainability of nuclear fuel cycle worldwide. On the other hand, research and information exchange in advanced technology is necessary to establish the benefit of using advanced fuel and technologies including MOX fuel to reduce stockpiles of separated Pu. To coop with this, advanced fuel designs and technologies have to be developed and proposed to utilities to ensure their safe and economic operation. The Senior Expert Group and June 1999 Board of Governors recommended the IAEA to assist Member States with appropriate solutions in the area of advanced fuel technologies.
In order to provide a guide to potential users who wish to contract post-irradiation examinations (PIEs) on irradiated LWR fuel and upon recommendation of the TWGFPT, the Agency initiated in 2002 an activity to revise a Catalogue of PIE Facilities (firstly issued in 1996) with a purpose of its further transformation into database. A questionnaire was sent to hot laboratories worldwide. Based on the answers to this questionnaire, revised Catalogue will be issued on CD-ROM, and then transformed into database.
Two Technical Meetings will be held in 2003, namely TM on “Improved fuel pellet materials and designs” (Brussels, Belgium, 20-24 October 2003) and TM on “Poolside inspection and repair of water reactor fuel” (Prague, Czech Republic, 10-13 June 2003).
In 2002, the Agency co-operated in the organization of two international conferences in nuclear fuel related area, namely "International Conference on Characterization and Quality Control of Nuclear Fuels" (CQCNF, Hyderabad, 10-13 December 2002) and "International Conference on Water Chemistry in Nuclear Reactor Systems" (Avignon, France, 22-26 April 2002). Agency initiated and facilitated participation of fuel experts from interested developing countries in these conferences. In 2003, it is planned to co-operate in the organization of the "8th International Conference on CANDU Fuel" (Honey Harbour, Ontario, Canada, 21-24 September 2003) and "5th International Conference on WWER Fuel Performance, Modelling and Experimental Support" (Albena, Bulgaria, 29 September-3 October 2003).
With regard to technical assistance, support was provided to projects with Brazil (BRA/4/052-Fabrication process development of the urania-7% gadolinia nuclear fuel to be used in Angra1 and Angra2 NPPs), Bulgaria (BUL/4/006-Sipping system for Kozloduy NPP) and Romania (ROM/4/025-Recovered U and SEU fuel cycle options for Chernavoda NPP).