Burn-up effect on MOX fuel thermal conductivity

Ikusawa, Yoshihisa   ; Morimoto, Kyoichi ; Ozawa, Takayuki   ; Kato, Masato   

Thermal conductivity of oxide fuel is important for fuel design and performance analyses. Uranium dioxide and uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) are used as fuels in light water reactors (LWRs), and the thermal conductivities of these oxide fuels have been measured in various laboratories. In a review of oxide fuel properties, it was reported that the thermal conductivity of oxide fuel would decrease with burn-up increase. In this study, burn-up effect on MOX fuel thermal conductivity was discussed.