The IFA-503.1 and −503.2 in-reactor experiments in the HBWR (Norway) are comparable to the microstructural studies of four types of VVER and PWR uranium dioxide fuel fabricated to standard specifications. On the basis of analysis, the radiation stability of VVER fuel as compared with PWR fuel isevaluated and a quantitative dependence of the effect of the initial submicron porosity on the thermoradiation densification of all experimental fuels is obtained. Data confirming a correlation between the radiation densification and a thermal test for dimensional stability are obtained for the fuels studied. Complex experimental studies made it possible to expand the database for verifying thermo-mechanical models and codes intended for predicting the behavior of high-burnup VVER.
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Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 114, No. 6, pp. 325–331, June, 2013.
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Volkov, B.Y., Jenssen, H., Ryazantsev, E.P. et al. Study of the Effect of Structural-Technological Parameters on the Thermo-Radiation Stability of VVER and PWR Fuel. At Energy 114, 404–411 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-013-9731-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-013-9731-x