Research on the overcoating process in the manufacture of spherical fuel elements for HTGR

With the commercial development of high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR), higher requirements for mass production of overcoated particles for fuel elements were put forward. The impacts of rotating speed of drum on dynamic surface angle, repose angle and particle size distribution were studied. The key process parameters were optimized and determined, and the causes of unqualified particles were also analyzed. The results of batch experiments using optimized parameters showed that the yield is high and stable and the average yield reached 93.94%. The overcoating equipment is easy to operation and control, can satisfy the mass production.