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NUCLEAR FUEL ENGINEERING LABORATORY
Objectives:
- The Nuclear Fuel Engineering Laboratory (NFEL) performs analytical, computational and experimental research aimed at maintaining and improving the reliability and safety of nuclear fuel in nuclear power plants and to develop the design of advanced nuclear fuel, which will reduce capital and fuelling cost, increase the operating limits, improve resources utilization and spent fuel management;
- Development and validation of computer codes needed to analyze in-reactor fuel behavior under normal and accident conditions;
- Development of new concepts of advanced fuels;
- Technical specification for in-pile or out-of-pile tests made on experimental fuel bundles. Data interpretation for the irradiation test and out-of-pile test;
- Research in nuclear fuel waste management.
Activities:
- Fuel behavior modeling;
- Computer codes development and validation;
- Fuel design optimization and evaluation;
- In-pile and out-of-pile tests (test design, experimental data interpretation);
- Fuel safety analysis;
- Radioactive waste management (thermal and thermo-mechanical assessment of spent fuel repository).
Main Achievements:
- Computer Codes developed and validated for normal and accident conditions;
- Fuel design (design optimization and design evaluation): 37-elements fuel bundle design, advanced fuel bundle design;
- Fuel safety analyses;
- In pile tests performed in SCN Pitesti Material Testing Reactor and PIE in SCN Pitesti Hot Cells Laboratory: high-power tests, power ramp tests, power cycling tests, internal gas pressure measurement tests, sweep gas tests, centerline fuel temperature measurement tests, power pulse tests;
- Out-of-pile fuel tests: pressure drop tests, strength tests, impact tests, flow endurance tests;
- Elaboration of the Cernavoda NPP Safety Report (chapter regarding Nuclear Fuel);
- Radwaste management: thermal and thermo-mechanical design analysis of spent fuel repository in granite;
- Research contracts financed from International Organisations.
Contact: Dr. Grigore HORHOIANU;
e-mail:
grigore.horhoianu@nuclear.ro |
