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Conference Article: HTR and VHTR Fuel Irradiation Program In The OSIRIS Material Testing Reactor

Stéphane Bendotti, CEA Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, FRANCE; Mayeul Phélip, CEA Cadarache, St. Paul Lez Durance, FRANCE; Pierre Guillermier, FRAMATOME ANP Fuel Sector, Lyon Cedex , FRANCE

Abstract

An extensive HTR Fuel irradiation program (the SIROCCO Program) is planned by Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique (CEA) and FRAMATOME ANP:

  • To provide data on fuel performance under irradiation under normal operating conditions, non operating conditions and accidental conditions.
  • To support development and validation of fuel performance and fission products transport models and codes.
  • To support the fuel licensing program.
This irradiation program will mainly be conducted at the OSIRIS French Material Testing Reactor (CEA, Saclay, France) first with HTR fuel manufactured with the French fuel line named GAIA (CEA, Cadarache, France) and compacted at CERCA, FRAMATOME ANP subsidiary (Romans, France) then, with HTR fuel manufactured with an industrial line. The objectives of the first irradiation campaign are to verify the quality of the fuel in terms of integrity and fission products retention and to verify the ability of the reference particle to withstand VHTR conditions. The valuable data coming from the out-of-pile consoles allowing the continuous monitoring of the fission products release measurements on the whole in-pile containment and the PIE will be the basis of the industrial fuel qualification program. This paper describes:
  • the planned irradiation conditions,
  • the description of the test rig and the experimental facility,
  • the schedule
of the first two irradiation campaigns of the SIROCCO Program.

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key words: Gas Cooled Reactor, Nuclear Technology
Reference:
Proceedings of the Conference on High Temperature Reactors, Beijing, China, September, 22-24, 2004
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
HTR-2004, pp:1-7