Ontario Hydro Fuel Experience

Abstract

Nuclear generated electricity from Ontario Hydro reactors represented 41.8% of the total electrical energy produced in the province in 1985. Ontario Hydro has in excess of 145 reactor-years experience with 15 commercial sized nuclear units (9 615 MWe net) currently in operation and another 5 nuclear units (4 339 MWe net) now under construction (Table 1). Fueling performance has been excellent with more than 60 000 fueling operations successfully completed and approximately 450 000 fuel bundles operating as designed. The recent reactor uprating of Bruce NGS-A to 100% FP has resulted in fuel linear ratings which are higher than those of any other CANDU power reactor. A recent review of failure criteria for thick CANLUB indicates that the identified failure thresholds are being exceeded by a small number of bundles during normal refueling at BNGS-A. Future operating conditions are expected to place increasing demands on fuel perfot~1ance and have thus prompted a 10-year Operating Fuel Technology Program aimed at improving fuel performance margins and reducing fueling costs.