The Research of MOX fuels in Japan

日本におけるMOX燃料の研究

加藤 正人   

Kato, Masato

日本ではナトリウム冷却高速炉のためにMOX燃料の開発を進めてきた。開発を進めているMOX燃料は、O/M, Pu含有率, MA含有率,密度において様々な仕様がある。我々は、そのような様々な燃料の燃料製造過程や照射における燃料挙動を評価するために科学に立脚した燃料技術の開発を進めてきた。この燃料技術の開発では、燃料の基礎特性の測定、データベース化、機構論的なモデルの開発を通して進めている。

In Japan, uranium and plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) has been developed as fuels of sodium-cooled fast reactors. The developing MOX fuels come in variety of O/M ratio, Pu content, minor actinide (MA) content and density. We have studied a science based fuel technology to evaluate fuel behaviors in fabrication process and irradiation condition of such various fuels. The technologies which are constructed based on experimental database can apply to mechanistic evaluation of fuel behaviors. To develop the science based fuel technology, many different varieties of basic properties have been investigated, and experimental database was constructed. And a mechanistic physical property model has been studied. The models contribute to describe various behaviors in fuel fabrication process and irradiation condition.