DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGY TO STUDY PROPERTIES OF IRRADIATED FUEL OF HIGH-TEMPERATURE GAS-COOLED REACTOR

RSE “Institute of Nuclear Physics” of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, together with the Atomic Energy Agency of Japan over the years have been conducting research aimed at developing the technology of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR). This paper is devoted to the development of technology to study the properties of the irradiated fuel of the HTGR reactor. The object of research is the fuel elements of the HTGR reactor. Fuel cells contain particles, which is a spherical three-structured isotropic fuel with an outer diameter of 0.92 mm. Particles have a triple coating of pyrocarbon and silicon carbide. Particles pressed with a graphite matrix in a compact.

The objectives of the research include:

– external inspection and analysis of the size of the fuel compact;

– separation of particles from the graphite matrix;

– determination of the proportion of damaged particles;

– determination of uranium burnout.

Such studies are conducted at the institute for the first time. To accomplish the above tasks, it was necessary to develop a technology for handling irradiated nuclear fuel. The results obtained will be used to qualify the HTGR fuel in order to further increase the burnup of uranium in it.

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