Research and development of ZrC-coated particle fuel

ZrC被覆粒子燃料の研究開発

湊 和生 ; 小川 徹

Minato, Kazuo; Ogawa, Toru

ZrC-Triso被覆粒子燃料の研究開発、特に、製造,化学反応性,高温安定性,核分裂生成物の保持についてレビューする。ハロゲン化ジルコニウムの蒸気を装置内で発生させる方法を用いて、定比ZrC被覆層の製造法を確立した。照射試験,照射後加熱試験、及び炉外試験により、ZrC被覆層はSiC被覆層よりも核分裂生成物パラジウムによる腐食に強いこと、及びZrC-Triso被覆UO粒子はSiC-Triso被覆UO粒子よりも高温での照射性能が高いことを実証した。また、ZrC-Triso被覆UO粒子はSiC-Triso被覆UO粒子よりも核分裂生成物セシウムの保持性能が高いことを実証した。

The research and development of the ZrC-Triso coated particle fuel was reviewed, especially on the fabrication, chemical reactions, high-temperature stability, and retention of fission products. The fabrication process of stoichiometric ZrC coating layer has been established based on the in-situ generation of zirconium halide vapor. The irradiation experiments, the postirradiation heating tests, and the out-of-reactor experiments demonstrated that the ZrC coating layer is less susceptible than the SiC coating layer to chemical attack by the fission product palladium, and that the ZrC-Triso coated UO particles perform better than the normal Triso-coated particles at high temperatures, especially above 1873 K. It was revealed that the ZrC-Triso coated particles retain the fission products better than the SiC-Triso coated particles, though the ZrC coating layer is a less effective barrier to ruthenium than the SiC coating layer.