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Conference Article: Present status of initial core fuel fabrication for the HTTR

Kitamura, N.; Watarumi, K.; Sato, K. (Nuclear Fuel Industries Ltd, Naka, Ibaraki (Japan)); Sawa, K.; Shiozawa, S.; Tanaka, T. (Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Oarai, Ibaraki (Japan)

Abstract

This paper describes present status of initial core fuel fabrication for the HTTR in Japan. The High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) is being constructed satisfactorily, aiming the first criticality in October 1997. Fuel fabrication for the HTTR was started in June 1995 at Tokai works of Nuclear Fuel Industries, Ltd. (NFI). The fabrication technologies have been developed through cooperation works of NFI and Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. The initial core fuel of the HTTR consists of 150 fuel assemblies. An HTTR fuel assembly is so-called a pin-in-block type of hexagonal graphite block containing 31 or 33 fuel rods. A fuel rod consists of a graphite sleeve and of 14 fuel compacts. In a fuel compact about 13,000 TRISO coated fuel particles are dispersed densely. Fabrication of the fuel is being carried out at NFI's facility, and a half of the initial fuels have been completed. The results of inspection for the size, the density and the sphericity of coated fuel particle, and the as-manufactured particle failure fractions in fuel compacts, which are most important inspection items from the view point of quality assurance, are quite satisfactory. Transportation and assembling of the fuel rods will be carried out at the reactor site from the middle of 1997.

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key words: Gas Cooled Reactor, Nuclear Technology
Reference:
Technical committee meeting on high temperature gas cooled reactor technology development. Johannesburg (South Africa). 13-15 Nov 1996.
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
IAEA-TECDOC--988, pp:373-383