Main results of the development of dispersion type IMF at A.A. Bochvar Institute

• Published in: Journal of nuclear materials 2010, Vol.396 (1), p.26-31
• Main Authors: Savchenko, A.M., Vatulin, A.V., Glagovsky, E.M., Konovalov, I.I., Morozov, A.V., Kozlov, A.V., Ershov, S.A., Mishunin, V.A., Kulakov, G.V., Sorokin, V.I., Simonov, A.P., Petrova, Z.N., Fedotov, V.V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0022-3115; 1873-4820
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2009.10.048

At A.A. Bochvar Institute a novel conception of IMF to burn civil and weapon’s grade Pu is currently accepted. It consists in the fact, that instead of using pelletized IMF, that features low serviceability and dust forming route of fuel element fabrication, the usage is made of dispersion type fuel element with aluminium or zirconium matrices. Dispersion fuels feature a high irradiation resistance and reliability; they can consequently reach high burnups and be serviceable under transient conditions. Three basic fuel element versions are under development in VNIINM for both thermal and fast reactors. The first version is a fuel element with a heterogeneous arrangement of fuel (PuO 2 or YSZ granules) within an Al or Zr matrix. The second version of a fuel element has a heat conducting Al or Zr alloy matrix and an isolated arrangement of PuO 2 in a fuel minielement more fully meets the ‘Rock Fuel’ requirements. According to the third version a porous meat of zirconium metallurgically bonded to a fuel cladding is formed through which a PuO 2 powder is introduced. All the versions are technologically simple to fabricate and require minimal quantities of process operations related to treating MA and Pu. Preliminary in-pile tests of IMF prototypes are presented.