Research and development plan for advanced high temperature gas cooled reactor fuels and graphite components (Contract research)

Sawa, Kazuhiro; Ueta, Shohei   ; Shibata, Taiju ; Sumita, Junya ; Ohashi, Jumpei; Tochio, Daisuke 

The Very-High-Temperature Reactor (VHTR) is one of the strong candidates for the Generation IV Nuclear Energy System. JAERI has developed Zirconium carbide (ZrC)-coated fuel particle and ZrC coating layer is expected to maintain its intactness under higher temperature and burn-up comparing conventional SiC-coating layer. JAERI carries out (1) ZrC-coating process development by large-scale coater, (2) inspection method development and (3) irradiation test and post irradiation experiment of ZrC coated particles. Also, JAERI carries out reactivity insertion tests to clarify the coating failure mechanism and tries to increase allowable temperature limit in case of reactivity insertion accident. Furthermore, JAERI develops non-destructive evaluation methods for mechanical properties of graphite components by ultrasonic testing and micro-indentation technique. This report describes these research and development plan and results of FY 2004 as a MEXT contact research.