Short-term irradiation behavior of low-density americium-doped uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuels irradiated in a fast reactor

Maeda, Koji  ; Katsuyama, Kozo ; Ikusawa, Yoshihisa   ; Maeda, Seiichiro 

In order to evaluate the thermal behavior of low-density uranium and plutonium mixed oxide fuels containing several percent of americium (Am-MOX), fuel irradiation test (B14) was conducted using the experimental fast reactor. Pellet-cladding gap width and O/M ratio of oxide fuels were specified as experimental parameters. Four fuel pins were irradiated step-by-step in consideration of fuel restructuring during 48 hours as pre-conditioning before full power reactor operation. The irradiation history, i.e. linear power, was simulated the conventional FBR oxide fuel pins. And the linear power was rapidly increased up to 47 kW/cm for 10 minutes to simulate the transient condition. After the irradiation, ceramography samples were taken from the axial position of each fuel pins where the fuel centerline temperature reached the maximum during irradiation. The result was investigated relative to those of other irradiated fuels.