DESIGN STUDY FOR A LOW-ENRICHED URANIUM CORE FOR THE HIGH FLUX ISOTOPE REACTOR, ANNUAL REPORT FOR FY 2010

Cook, David Howard¹  Freels, James D¹  Ilas, Germina¹  Jolly, Brian C¹  Miller, James Henry¹  Primm, Trent¹  Renfro, David G¹  Sease, John D¹  Pinkston, Daniel¹ 

[1] ORNL

关键词: ALLOYS;    DESIGN;    ENRICHED URANIUM;    FABRICATION;    HFIR REACTOR;    IMPLEMENTATION;    PERFORMANCE;    SPECIFICATIONS;    THERMAL HYDRAULICS;    URANIUM;    URANIUM OXIDES HFIR LEU fuel development reactor physics annual report 2010;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1004673
RP-ID  :  ORNL/TM-2011/6
PID  :  OSTI ID: 1004673
Others  :  Other: NN9002000
Others  :  MDGA518
Others  :  TRN: US1101054

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

This report documents progress made during FY 2010 in studies of converting the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) from high enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. Conversion from HEU to LEU will require a change in fuel form from uranium oxide to a uranium-molybdenum alloy. With axial and radial grading of the fuel foil and an increase in reactor power to 100 MW, calculations indicate that the HFIR can be operated with LEU fuel with no degradation in performance to users from the current level. Studies are reported of support to a thermal hydraulic test loop design, the implementation of finite element, thermal hydraulic analysis capability, and infrastructure tasks at HFIR to upgrade the facility for operation at 100 MW. A discussion of difficulties with preparing a fuel specification for the uranium-molybdenum alloy is provided. Continuing development in the definition of the fuel fabrication process is described.