Recent Irradiations and PIE Supporting the Development of Advanced CANDU UO2 Fuel Technology

Abstract

Since 1994, AECL has undertaken several irradiation tests in the U1 and U2 loops of the NRU reactor, including post-irradiation examination (PIE) in the Chalk River hot cell facilities.

Advanced CANDU UO₂ fuel technology development over the past 10 years can be categorized in three broad areas: (i) development of the 43-element CANFLEX fuel bundle, (ii) extended-burnup technology, and (iii) low-void-reactivity fuel (LVRF) technology.

This paper reviews irradiations and PIE supporting the development of advanced fuel technologies in these broad areas.