The application and comparison of 97Zr and 92Sr in the absolute determination of the contribution of power density and cladding activation in a VVER-1000 Mock-Up on the LR-0 Research Reactor

• Gamma spectroscopy of irradiated fresh fuel.
• Determination of zirconium fuel cladding activation rate.
• Comparison of fission densities by Zr-97 and Sr-92.

97Zr is a relatively high-yield fission product that can be used for zero reactor power determination. The technique is not widely used because in the case of reactors that use zirconium metal in the fuel cladding, it is not only a fission product but is also produced by activation. In an appropriately chosen time interval, results obtained using 97Zr can be compared to those of power determination performed using 92Sr. The knowledge of the ratio between fission-induced 97Zr and the portion of 97Zr activated in the cladding can be used not only for power-density determination but also as an important indication of fuel failures.