Research on Detection Technology of 235U Enrichment and Loading Uniformity for Nuclear Fuel Rods

To ensure that fuel rods operate in nuclear reactors safely and reliably, UO2 pellets with different enrichment levels of 235U in the same production line are manufactured in batches and divisionally managed to avoid confusion or the potential misloading of UO2 pellets with different enrichment levels. At the same time, nondestructive tests for their enrichment levels and loading uniformity and all UO2 pellets must be nondestructively tested during production. By studying the enrichment detection mechanism of the UO2 pellets of 235U, the design of an integral standard rod was carried out, and a single integral standard rod was used to achieve the calibration of the enrichment measurement curve, as well as the detection and calibration of abnormal pellets. This study undertook a comparison test of 235U enrichment between the neutron activation method and the array multi-probe passive method. The test results showed that the array multi-probe passive method had higher detection efficiency and equal accuracy.

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Research on Intelligent Detection Technology of Surface Defects of Nuclear Fuel Rods Based on Machine Vision

Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering - Proceedings of the Seventh Asia International Symposium on Mechatronics ◽

10.1007/978-981-32-9441-7_95 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 927-936

Author(s):

Mingfei Gu ◽

Dagui Huang ◽

Xunkuai Zhou ◽

Yangyang Li ◽

Youcheng Li

Keyword(s):

Machine Vision ◽

Nuclear Fuel ◽

Surface Defects ◽

Fuel Rods ◽

Detection Technology ◽

Intelligent Detection ◽

Nuclear Fuel Rods

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Inspection of domestic nuclear fuel rods using neutron radiography at the Tehran Research Reactor

Materials Testing ◽

10.3139/120.110923 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 58 (9) ◽

pp. 763-766 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mohammad Hosein Choopan Dastjerdi ◽

Hossein Khalafi ◽

Yaser Kasesaz ◽

Amir Movafeghi

Keyword(s):

Nuclear Fuel ◽

Research Reactor ◽

Neutron Radiography ◽

Fuel Rods ◽

Tehran Research Reactor ◽

Nuclear Fuel Rods

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Rod Bow Ultrasonic Measurements Possibilities

Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science ◽

10.1115/1.4041277 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Marcin Kopeć ◽

Martina Malá

Keyword(s):

Nuclear Fuel ◽

Nuclear Reactors ◽

Research Centre ◽

Fuel Rods ◽

Fuel Rod ◽

Nuclear Fuel Assembly ◽

Fuel Assemblies ◽

Ultrasonic Measurements ◽

History Of ◽

Fuel Particles

The ultrasonic (UT) measurements have a long history of utilization in the industry, also in the nuclear field. As the UT transducers are developing with the technology in their accuracy and radiation resistance, they could serve as a reliable tool for measurements of small but sensitive changes for the nuclear fuel assembly (FA) internals as the fuel rods are. The fuel rod bow is a phenomenon that may bring advanced problems as neglected or overseen. The quantification of this issue state and its probable progress may help to prevent the safety-related problems of nuclear reactors to occur—the excessive rod bow could, in the worst scenario, result in cladding disruption and then the release of actinides or even fuel particles to the coolant medium. Research Centre Rez has developed a tool, which could serve as a complementary system for standard postirradiation inspection programs for nuclear fuel assemblies. The system works in a contactless mode and reveals a 0.1 mm precision of measurements in both parallel (toward the probe) and perpendicular (sideways against the probe) directions.

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GaN Radiation Detection Research Based on Monte Carlo Method

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.668-669.1011 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 668-669 ◽

pp. 1011-1014

Author(s):

Yang Liu ◽

Guo Zheng Zhu ◽

Zhen Ni Xing

Keyword(s):

Monte Carlo ◽

Energy Deposition ◽

Detection Efficiency ◽

Hadron Collider ◽

Radiation Detection ◽

Radiation Energy ◽

Radiation Detectors ◽

Detection Mechanism ◽

Radiation Beam ◽

The Impact

Gallium nitride (GaN) is the third generation of semiconductor material; it has a large band gap, high thermal conductivity, low dielectric constant, high drift speed, etc. Radiation detectors based on GaN material have small volume, high radiation resistance, and fast response, can be used to replace the existing Large Hadron Collider vertex detector and track detector. Energy deposition characteristic of GaN detectors to radiation beam is an important factor for detection efficiency, and there are many factors that affect the energy deposition characteristics of the detector, like the detection mechanism, the impact of material properties, the type of incident ray, radiation energy, and many other factors. This paper studies the physical properties of GaN detector by calculation based on Monte Carlo simulation. Energy deposition characteristics are discussed respectively for incident γ-ray with different energy, in the front-end and back-end add PTFE material. The results of our study present the theoretical properties of GaN radiation detectors.

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Uncertainty Analysis and Thermal Stored Energy Calculations in Nuclear Fuel Rods

Nuclear Technology ◽

10.13182/nt80-a32400 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 47 (3) ◽

pp. 457-467 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mitchel E. Cunningham ◽

Courtney R. Hann ◽

Anthony R. Olsen

Keyword(s):

Uncertainty Analysis ◽

Nuclear Fuel ◽

Stored Energy ◽

Fuel Rods ◽

Energy Calculations ◽

Nuclear Fuel Rods

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Simulation of loop test conditions for the modified SM reactor fuel rods and test results in justification of their performance

Izvestiya Wysshikh Uchebnykh Zawedeniy Yadernaya Energetika ◽

10.26583/npe.2013.2.13 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 (2) ◽

pp. 105-113

Author(s):

Vladimir Aleksandrovich Starkov ◽

Fedoseev V.E. Fedoseev ◽

Shishin V.Yu. Shishin

Keyword(s):

Reactor Fuel ◽

Test Results ◽

Fuel Rods ◽

Test Conditions

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Nonlinear Vibrations of Model PWR Fuel Assemblies: Part 2 — Interpretation of Results Using Bilinear Stiffness Model

Volume 7A: Dynamics, Vibration, and Control ◽

10.1115/imece2020-24265 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Prabakaran Balasubramanian ◽

Giovanni Ferrari ◽

Giulio M. Franchini ◽

Marco Amabili ◽

Kostas Karazis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nuclear Fuel ◽

Zirconium Alloy ◽

Nonlinear Boundary ◽

Nonlinear Boundary Conditions ◽

Hysteresis Model ◽

Fuel Rods ◽

Spacer Grids ◽

Nuclear Fuel Rods ◽

Rigid Rod ◽

Force Displacement

Abstract The experimental response of fuel rods with spacer grids was interpreted using a bilinear hysteresis model. Nonlinear experimental responses of two configurations of rods made out of Zirconium alloy tubes were considered in this paper: one configuration with a single beam and the second configuration with a cluster of beams (stacked in a 3 × 3 matrix formulation). These two configurations were designed to emulate part of the nuclear fuel assembly in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). Both configurations were supported by spacer girds at their extremities and were immersed in still water. Spacer grids are grid-like structures made out of thin Zirconium alloy sheets with 17 × 17 cells arranged in a square pattern. Spacer grids provide mechanical support and reduce flow-induced vibration of nuclear fuel rods. They also improve the heat transfer between nuclear fuel rods and the surrounding coolant. The spacer grids impose nonlinear boundary conditions to the beams at the contact points/surface. Specifically, spacer grids present bilinear hysteresis due to their inherent complexity. The bilinear hysteresis shown by spacer grids was measured in terms of force-displacement loops by testing rigid rod inserted in one of its cells. The rigid rod was then excited by external harmonic excitation with excitation frequencies ranging from 5 Hz to 50 Hz in steps of 5 Hz. The bilinear hysteresis model, first studied by Caughey, was modified to include viscous damping and was used to interpret the experimental results. The method of slowly varying parameters was used to solve the equation of motion. First, the measured force-displacement loops of spacer grids were fitted with the numerical model described in the current analysis. Good agreement between the model response and measured loops was found, and the identified parameters allowed the characterization of the nonlinear boundary conditions imposed by spacer grids. Finally, the nonlinear responses of the two configurations under study were interpreted using the bilinear hysteresis model. Excellent agreement between numerical and experimental results was obtained for both configurations.

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