Fission Product Release from HEU Uranium-Aluminium Alloy Fuel in SLOWPOKE-2 Reactors

Abstract

Increasing radiation fields due to a release of fission products in the reactor container of several SLOWPOKE-2 reactors fuelled with a highly-enriched uranium (HEU) alloy core have been observed. To investigate this phenomenon, samples of reactor water, and gas from the headspace above the water, have been obtained and examined by gamma spectroscopy methods for several reactors of various burnups. An underwater visual examination of a high-burnup HEU fuelled core has also provided information on the condition of the core.