Fundamental research on behavior of helium in MA-bearing oxide fuel

MA含有酸化物燃料中のヘリウム挙動に関する基盤研究

荒井 康夫; 芹澤 弘幸  ; 中島 邦久  ; 高野 公秀 ; 佐藤 勇; 勝山 幸三 ; 秋江 拓志  ; 鈴木 元衛; 白数 訓子  ; 芳賀 芳範   ; 赤堀 光雄

Arai, Yasuo; Serizawa, Hiroyuki; Nakajima, Kunihisa; Takano, Masahide; Sato, Isamu; Katsuyama, Kozo; Akie, Hiroshi; Suzuki, Motoe; Shirasu, Noriko; Haga, Yoshinori; Akabori, Mitsuo

U燃料やU-Pu燃料に比較して照射中や保管中に多量のHeが生成する点は、MA含有燃料の特徴の一つである。本研究ではMA含有酸化物燃料中のHe挙動を理解するために、実験室規模の炉外試験,照射後試験並びにモデリング計算を実施した。炉外試験では、単結晶二酸化ウランを用いたHeの拡散係数の導出やキュリウム244のアルファ崩壊を利用した酸化物中へのHe蓄積の影響把握を行い、照射後試験では高速実験炉JOYOで照射した約0.5%のアメリシウムを含むMOX燃料中のHe挙動を調べた。モデリング計算では、燃料中でのHe生成,拡散,気相との平衡及び気相への放出などの素過程に基づくHe挙動モデルを作成し、これを既存の燃料挙動解析コードのサブルーチンに組込み、高速炉用MA含有MOX燃料中のHe挙動をシミュレートした。

High amount of He is generated in MA-bearing fuel during irradiation and storage periods compared with that in U or U-Pu fuel. Laboratory scale experiments, post irradiation examinations and modeling study were carried out in order to understand the He behavior in MA-bearing oxide fuel. Diffusion characteristics of He in single-crystal UO were investigated by the Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry. Effects of the He accumulation on lattice and bulk expansion of oxide pellets were examined by use of alpha-decay of Cm. Post irradiation examinations of 0.5%Am-MOX fuel irradiated at a fast test reactor JOYO were carried out, concentrating on the He behavior in the fuel pellets. A model describing the He behavior in MA-MOX fuel was constructed based on the principle processes, such as generation, diffusion, equilibrium and release to outer gaseous phase. By use of the model as a subroutine of a conventional fuel behavior analysis code, the He behavior in MA-MOX fuel for fast reactors was simulated.