Title: Estimation of fission gas release in FBTR fuel pins

Authors: C.N. Venkiteswaran, N.G. Muralidharan, A. Vijayaraghavan, Jojo Joseph, V. Venugopal, K.V. Kasiviswanathan

Addresses: PIE, In-Service Inspection, Remote Handling and Robotics Division, Metallurgy and Materials Group, IGCAR, Kalpakkam – 603 102, India. ' PIE, In-Service Inspection, Remote Handling and Robotics Division, Metallurgy and Materials Group, IGCAR, Kalpakkam – 603 102, India. ' PIE, In-Service Inspection, Remote Handling and Robotics Division, Metallurgy and Materials Group, IGCAR, Kalpakkam – 603 102, India. ' PIE, In-Service Inspection, Remote Handling and Robotics Division, Metallurgy and Materials Group, IGCAR, Kalpakkam – 603 102, India. ' PIE, In-Service Inspection, Remote Handling and Robotics Division, Metallurgy and Materials Group, IGCAR, Kalpakkam – 603 102, India. ' PIE, In-Service Inspection, Remote Handling and Robotics Division, Metallurgy and Materials Group, IGCAR, Kalpakkam – 603 102, India

Abstract: Fission gas extraction and analysis has been carried out on fuel pins of fast breeder test reactor subassemblies at different burn-ups as a part of post-irradiation examinations to characterise the performance of the unique mixed carbide fuel and estimate the residual life. This paper describes in detail the fission gas extraction and analysis carried out on fuel pins after various stages of burn-ups of 25, 50 and 100 GWd/t. The analysis of fission gas was carried out by gas chromatography. Analysis indicated that the maximum percentage of gas release is 14% after a burn-up of 100 GWd/t, and the corresponding plenum pressure is 1.2 MPa.

Keywords: fission gas; swelling; carbide fuel; post-irradiation examination; gas extraction; gas analysis; FBTR fuel pins; fast breeder test reactors; subassemblies; burn-ups; gas chromatography; nuclear fission; nuclear energy; nuclear power; nuclear science; nuclear technology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNEST.2006.011718

International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, 2006 Vol.2 No.4, pp.352 - 360

Published online: 19 Dec 2006 *

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