Post Irradiation Examination of Fuels of Madras Atomic Power Station

Abstract

Post irradiation examination (PIE) of three 19 pin fuel bundles from the two PHWR 235 MWe units at Madras Atomic Power Stations has been completed in the hot cells of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). The facilities utilised for PIE of these bundles include equipment for leak testing, visual examination, metrology, eddy current, ultrasonic, gamma scanning, gamma spectrometry, fission gas collection, retained fission gas analysis, metallography and alpha and beta-gamma autoradiography. PIE of these bundles reveals two modes of failure, namely: fretting by debris in the coolant system; end cap detachment due to massive hydriding near the weld line.