Post-Irradiation Examination of Bruce Nuclear Generating Station Elements at Chalk River Laboratories (CNL)
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Abstract
Bruce Power shipped five fuel elements from five irradiated fuel bundles to Chalk River Laboratories, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) in 2013 for routine non-destructive examination (NDE) and destructive examination (DE). Four of the elements were examined to characterize anomalous deposits observed on the fuel cladding.
The deposits were examined in detail using optical microscopy and secondary electron (SE) imaging. The composition of the deposits was examined using a hot-cell analytical Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) equipped with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX). The EDX analyses determined the deposit to be composed of primarily iron. The UO2 pellets and Zr-4 cladding, and hence the fuel performance, appeared unaffected by the deposits. The cladding hermetic integrity for all four fuel elements were confirmed intact.
The deposits were examined in detail using optical microscopy and secondary electron (SE) imaging. The composition of the deposits was examined using a hot-cell analytical Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) equipped with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX). The EDX analyses determined the deposit to be composed of primarily iron. The UO2 pellets and Zr-4 cladding, and hence the fuel performance, appeared unaffected by the deposits. The cladding hermetic integrity for all four fuel elements were confirmed intact.
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