Development of type-B capsule loader in the NSRR (Contract research)

Muramatsu, Yasuyuki; Okawara, Masami; Suzuki, Toshiyuki; Shibata, Isao; Fuketa, Toyoshi

As a part of Advanced LWR Fuel Performance and Safety Research Program, irradiation experiments are conducted with high burnup uranium dioxide fuel and uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel in the Nuclear Safety Research Reactor. When an irradiation capsule is transferred and loaded to the reactor core, a capsule loader is used. The previous capsule loader, however, could not have enough shielding capability against neutron flux from high burnup MOX fuel. In order to fulfill the requirement and to handle a new high pressure water capsule, accordingly, a type-B capsule loader was developed.