Modernization of uranium-zirconium fuel rod of IVG.1M research reactor

Solntsev, V. A.; Soldatkin, D. M.; Nuzhin, V. N.

Publication:
Modernization of uranium-zirconium fuel rod of IVG.1M research reactor

creativeworkseries.issn	2452-3038
dc.contributor.author	Solntsev, V. A.
dc.contributor.author	Soldatkin, D. M.
dc.contributor.author	Nuzhin, V. N.
dc.date.accessioned	2024-09-19T06:54:03Z
dc.date.available	2024-09-19T06:54:03Z
dc.date.issued	2024
dc.description.abstract	This paper describes the development of a dispersion-type uranium-zirconium fuel rod. Uranium is distributed in the zirconium matrix material in the form of axis-oriented fibers. The fuel rod is designed for the conversion of the IVG.1M research reactor (Republic of Kazakhstan) from highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU). The need for the HEU-LEU conversion arose in connection with Kazakhstan joining the program to convert research and test reactors to fuel with reduced enrichment (RERTR 2023). The study solves the problem of deformation of a low-tech U-Zr alloy (located in a zone of low plasticity) by replacing them with a heterogeneous compound. The manufacture of fuel rod is based on metal forming processes. Initially, a fuel rod wire with a core of fiber structure is formed by triple co-extrusion of cylindrical uranium and coaxial zirconium billets. At the next stage, the wire is processed to the required diameter by drawing, then the operation of flattening, twisting and cutting into specified lengths is carried out. Upon reaching a high total degree of deformation obtained during cold work, relaxation annealing is carried out at temperatures of 550 to 600 °C, which leads to the formation of a transboundary layer of the UZr2 intermetallic compound with a thickness of 1 to 2 μm. The intermetallic layer, without having a significant effect on the strength and thermal conductivity of the compound, ensures high quality diffusion bonding of all fuel rod components. The final operations are melting of the ends of the fuel rods and sealing by electroplating with nickel. As a result, blade-profile fuel elements are obtained with a thickness of 1.5 mm, a diameter of the circumcircle of 2.8 mm and an average effective diameter of uranium fiber of 40 μm. A set of 14040 fuel rods was manufactured and loaded into an operating IVG.1M reactor. The power start-up took place in 2023. Due to the unification and wide variability in the loading of the fuel component, in size and shape of the cross section, in structure and materials of the matrix compound, the fiber fuel element design can be used in the development of fuel rods for advanced reactors for various applications.
dc.identifier.citation	Solntsev VA, Soldatkin DM, Nuzhin VN (2024) Modernization of uranium-zirconium fuel rod of IVG.1M research reactor. Nuclear Energy and Technology 10(2): 111-115. https://doi.org/10.3897/nucet.10.130131
dc.identifier.doi	10.3897/nucet.10.130131
dc.identifier.issn	2452-3038
dc.identifier.uri	https://nucet.pensoft.net/article/130131/list/9/
dc.identifier.uri	https://openrepository.mephi.ru/handle/123456789/14949
dc.relation.ispartof	Nuclear Energy and Technology
dc.subject	Heat treatment
dc.subject	Intermetallic compound
dc.subject	Temperature regime
dc.subject	Fiber structure
dc.subject	Research reactor
dc.subject	Cutting
dc.subject	Compound
dc.subject	Technology
dc.subject	Uranium-zirconium fuel rod
dc.subject	Extrusion
dc.subject	Drawing
dc.title	Modernization of uranium-zirconium fuel rod of IVG.1M research reactor
dc.type	journal-article
dspace.entity.type	Publication
journal.title	Nuclear Energy and Technology (NUCET)
journalvolume.identifier.name	Nuclear Energy and Technology
oaire.citation.issue	2
oaire.citation.volume	10
relation.isJournalIssueOfPublication	599de3d2-0b88-4df7-8f9b-b31706c824f1
relation.isJournalIssueOfPublication.latestForDiscovery	599de3d2-0b88-4df7-8f9b-b31706c824f1
relation.isJournalOfPublication	e11ecc6c-1851-485a-af73-18119b4fce7f