Bringing the CANFLEX Fuel Bundle to Market

Abstract

CANFLEX is a 43-element CANDU fuel bundle, under joint development by AECL and KAERI, to facilitate the use of various advanced fuel cycles in CANDU reactors through the provision of enhanced operating margins. The bundle uses two element diameters (13.5 and 11.5 mm) to reduce element ratings by 20%, and includes the use of critical-heat-flux (CHF) enhancing appendages to increase the minimum CHF ratio or dryout margin of the bundle. Test programs are underway to demonstrate: the irradiation behaviour, hydraulic characteristics and reactor physics properties of the bundle, along with a test program to demonstrate the ability of the bundle to be handled by CANDU-6 fuelling machines. A fuel design manual and safety analysis reports have been drafted, and both analyses, plus discussions with utilities are underway for a demonstration irradiation in a CANDU-6 reactor.