Preliminary Results of the BTF-1OSA Test: An In-Reactor Instrument Development and Fuel Behaviour Test

Abstract

The BTF-105A test, performed in 1996 March, was the first of a pair of in-reactor tests planned to investigate fuel behaviour and fission-product release from CANDU-type fuel for the high temperature conditions expected following large-break loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCA) with coincident loss-of-emergency-core-cooling (LOECC). The BTF-105A test assembly consisted of an instrumented fuel stringer containing a single, unirradiated, fuel element; while the second test, denoted BTF-105B, will use a similarly instrumented assembly containing a single, previously irradiated, fuel element. As the first of these two tests, the primary objectives of BTF-105A were to test instrumentation and procedures planned for use in BTF-105B, and to obtain data on the relationship between fuel-centreline and sheath temperatures under transient conditions with steam cooling. This paper describes the conduct and preliminary results of the BTF-105A test, and also indicates improvements to be made for the upcoming BTF-105B test.