The Fuel Accident Condition Simulator (FACS) furnace system for high temperature performance testing of VHTR fuel

• Published in: Nuclear engineering and design 2012-10, Vol.251, p.164-172
• Main Authors: Demkowicz, Paul A., Laug, David V., Scates, Dawn M., Reber, Edward L., Roybal, Lyle G., Walter, John B., Harp, Jason M., Morris, Robert N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accident conditions; AGR-1; Fission; Fission products; Fuels; Furnaces; Irradiation; Monitoring; NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; Simulation; TRISO-Coated Particle Fuel Specimens
• ISSN: 0029-5493; 1872-759X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2011.10.048

► A system has been developed for safety testing of irradiated coated particle fuel. ► FACS system is designed to facilitate remote operation in a shielded hot cell. ► System will measure release of fission gases and condensable fission products. ► Fuel performance can be evaluated at temperatures as high as 2000°C in flowing helium. The AGR-1 irradiation of TRISO-coated particle fuel specimens was recently completed and represents the most successful such irradiation in US history, reaching peak burnups of greater than 19% FIMA with zero failures out of 300,000 particles. An extensive post-irradiation examination (PIE) campaign will be conducted on the AGR-1 fuel in order to characterize the irradiated fuel properties, assess the in-pile fuel performance in terms of coating integrity and fission metals release, and determine the fission product retention behavior during high temperature safety testing. A new furnace system has been designed, built, and tested to perform high temperature accident tests. The Fuel Accident Condition Simulator furnace system is designed to heat fuel specimens at temperatures up to 2000°C in helium while monitoring the release of volatile fission metals (e.g. Cs, Ag, Sr, and Eu), iodine, and fission gases (Kr, Xe). Fission gases released from the fuel to the sweep gas are monitored in real time using dual cryogenic traps fitted with high purity germanium detectors. Condensable fission products are collected on a plate attached to a water-cooled cold finger that can be exchanged periodically without interrupting the test. Analysis of fission products on the condensation plates involves dry gamma counting followed by chemical analysis of selected isotopes. This paper will describe design and operational details of the Fuel Accident Condition Simulator furnace system and the associated fission gas monitoring system, as well as preliminary system calibration results.