Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
5474944 Annals of Nuclear Energy 2017 6 Pages PDF
Abstract
The decay of actinides such as 238Pu, results in recoil damage and helium production in spent nuclear fuels. The extent of the damage depends on storage time and spent fuel composition and has implications for the integrity of the fuels. Some advanced nuclear fuels intended for use in pressurized heavy water pressure tube reactors have high initial plutonium content and are anticipated to exhibit swelling and embrittlement, and to accumulate helium bubbles over storage times as short as hundreds of years. Calculations are performed to provide estimates of helium production and fuel swelling associated with alpha decay as a function of storage time. Significant differences are observed between predicted aging characteristics of natural uranium and the advanced fuels, including increased helium concentrations and accelerated fuel swelling in the latter. Implications of these observations for long term storage of advanced fuels are discussed.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Energy Energy Engineering and Power Technology
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