The DOE advanced gas reactor fuel development and qualification program

Petti, David A.; Maki, John T.; Hunn, John D.; Pappano, Peter J; Barnes, Charles M.; Saurwein, J.J.; Nagley, Scott G.; Kendall, James; Hobbins, R.R.

doi:10.1007/s11837-010-0140-5

Cited by 107 publications

(67 citation statements)

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“…The thermal conditions in the test section are monitored by thermocouples whose readings are exhibited on the Distributed Control System (DCS) [6]. The target fuel temperatures are defined in the AGR test plan [4,5]. The fuel compact temperatures are important both for characterization of the test conditions needed for validation of future fuel performance simulation codes, and for qualification of fuel performance in support of VHTR licensing.…”

Section: Agr Experiments Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The relevant NDMAS functions are presented by example using data from the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) fuel performance tests within the NGNP Fuel Development and Qualification Program [4,5]. The AGR tests conducted in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) aim to obtain data on fuel behavior under normal and accident conditions of a new generation of Very-High-Temperature gas-cooled Reactors (VHTR).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The statistical analysis techniques to support the NGNP fuel performance experiments

Pham¹,

Einerson²

2013

Journal of Nuclear Materials

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This paper describes the development and application of statistical analysis techniques to support the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) experimental program on Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) fuel performance. The experiments conducted in the Idaho National Laboratory's Advanced Test Reactor employ fuel compacts placed in a graphite cylinder shrouded by a steel capsule. The tests are instrumented with thermocouples embedded in graphite blocks and the target quantity (fuel/graphite temperature) is regulated by the He-Ne gas mixture that fills the gap volume. Three techniques for statistical analysis, namely control charting, correlation analysis, and regression analysis, are implemented in the SAS-based NGNP Data Management and Analysis System (NDMAS) for automated processing and qualification of the AGR measured data. The NDMAS also stores daily neutronic (power) and thermal (heat transfer) code simulation results along with the measurement data, allowing for their combined use and comparative scrutiny. The ultimate objective of this work includes (a) a multi-faceted system for data monitoring and data accuracy testing, (b) identification of possible modes of diagnostics deterioration and changes in experimental conditions, (c) qualification of data for use in code validation, and (d) identification and use of data trends to support effective control of test conditions with respect to the test target. Analysis results and examples given in the paper show the three statistical analysis techniques providing a complementary capability to warn of thermocouple failures. It also suggests that the regression analysis models relating calculated fuel temperatures and thermocouple readings can enable online regulation of experimental parameters (i.e. gas mixture content), to effectively maintain the target quantity (fuel temperature) within a given range.

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Section: Agr Experiments Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The statistical analysis techniques to support the NGNP fuel performance experiments

Pham¹,

Einerson²

2013

Journal of Nuclear Materials

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“…27,28 These failure analyses led to changes in the coating conditions used in the fabrication of fuel particles in the NPNP/AGR Fuel Program 29 to ensure IPyC coatings with adequate isotropy were produced.…”

Section: Irradiation Induced Failure Of Ipyc Leading To Sic Crackingmentioning

confidence: 99%

NGNP Fuel Qualification White Paper

Petti¹

2010

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The Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) will be a licensed commercial high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) plant capable of producing electricity and high-temperature process heat for industrial markets supporting a range of end-user applications. The NGNP Project has adopted the 10 CFR 52 Combined License (COL) application process, as recommended in the NGNP Licensing Strategy -Report to Congress, dated August 2008, as the foundation for the NGNP licensing strategy. The NGNP Project will be utilizing this NRC licensing process to demonstrate the efficacy of licensing future gas-cooled reactors for commercial industrial applications. This white paper is one in a series of submittals that will address key generic issues of the COL priority licensing topics as part of the process for establishing HTGR regulatory requirements.The NGNP Fuel Qualification White Paper summarizes the planned fuel qualification approach for the NGNP HTGR plants. The HTGR concepts under consideration include both pebble-bed and prismatic-block reactors. Both concepts employ tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles, but the pebble-bed concept uses UO 2 (uranium oxide) fuel particles made into spheres, and the prismatic-block concept uses UCO (uranium oxycarbide) fuel particles made into cylindrical compacts that are then loaded into hexagonal-shaped graphite fuel blocks. The TRISO fuel particle consists of a microsphere (i.e., kernel) of nuclear material encapsulated by multiple layers of pyrocarbon and a SiC (silicon carbide) layer. This multiple-coating-layer system has been engineered to retain the fission products generated by fission of the nuclear material in the kernel during normal operation and all licensing basis events over the design lifetime of the fuel. Although plant safety depends on many factors, the TRISO-coated fuel is particularly critical to the safe operation of the reactor because the fuel particles are the primary (but not the only) barrier to fission-product release in HTGRs.The information in this paper provides the basis for interactions with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff. The NGNP Project wishes to obtain comments on the adequacy of the planned fuel qualification approach and feedback on a number of issues that can significantly impact the effort and schedule to prepare a combined license application (COLA) for the HTGR-based NGNP.vii viii

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“…As part of the Research and Development program for High Temperature Reactors (HTR), a series of irradiation tests, designated as Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) experiments, have been defined to support development and qualification of fuel design, fabrication process, and fuel performance under normal operation and accident conditions [1,2]. The AGR tests employ fuel compacts placed in a graphite cylinder shrouded by a steel capsule and instrumented with thermocouples (TC) embedded in graphite blocks enabling temperature control.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%