High density dispersion fuel [report]

G.L. Hofman
1996 unpublished
A fuel development campaign that results in an aluminum plate-type fuel of unlimited LEU burnup capability with an uranium loading of 9 grams per cm3 of meat (while at the same time meeting required homogeneity and formability criteria) should be considered an unqualified success. To put this goal in perspective, our current worldwide approved and accepted highest loading is 4.8 g cm" with U, Si , as fuel. This fuel compound has excellent radiation performance to full 23sU bumup, but its modest
more » ... density limits application for very high loadings. The 4.8 g cm-3 loading corresponds to approximately 43 vol % U, Si , in the meat which is, with conventional rolling techniques, an upper limit for commercial fabrication. Recently several fabricators have reported satisfactory yields with up to 53 vol % &Si2 achieved through optimized fabrication procedures. Assuming that these new processes prove commercially viable, we have now an upper limit of 6 g cmS with a proven fuel compound. Or in other words we are a factor of 1.5 short of our 9 g cm4 goal. We can not expect to increase the fuel volume fraction significantly, if at all, beyond 53%. Thus our only hope lies in finding a much-higher-density fuel than U3Si, with, however, similar characteristics such as fabricability, compatibility with aluminum, and stable irradiation behavior.
doi:10.2172/373920 fatcat:irjyxmtr2rgynjxfrxcoml6oym