Cladding dimensional changes in mixed oxide fuel pins

Abstract

Several types of stainless steel (304, 316, 316-20% Cold Worked, and 316 Titanium stabilized 20% CW) have been used as cladding for mixed oxide (U, Pu)O/sub 2/ fuel pins irradiated in EBR-II. All of the materials have performed satisfactorily in their respective experimental subassemblies but significant differences in swelling and inelastic strain behavior have been found at high fast fluences among the different materials and among different heats of the same material. Cladding diameter increases were measured for 622 developmental and FFTF reference design fuel pins which were irradiated in 19 experimental subassemblies. Fuel pin diameters were determined from multiangle axial trace profilometry measurements