Nondestructive examination of Oconee 1 fuel assemblies after three cycles of irradiation

The Babcock and Wilcox Company (B and W) in conjunction with Duke Power Company is participating in a Department of Energy sponsored research and development program to qualify current design pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel assemblies for extended burnup (>40,000 MWd/mtU). The information obtained from this program will provide a basis for future design improvements in PWR fuel assemblies culminating in an extended burnup assembly having a nominal operating limit of approximately 50,000 MWd/mtU. An extension of the current assembly design to higher burnups will result in the following benefits: (1) lower uranium ore requirements, (2) greater fuel cycle efficiency, (3) reduction in spent fuel storage requirements, and (4) increased flexibility in tailoring fuel batch sizes to better accommodate the varying energy requirements of the utilities