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04.11.2011
Material characterization Capabilities at
IFE Kjeller (NMAT)
Institute for Energy Technology
Sector: Nuclear Safety & Reliability
NUSP, Head: Dr. M.McGrath
Department: Nuclear Materials Technology
NMAT Head: Dr. B.C.Oberländer
P.O.Box 40,
N-2027 Kjeller, Norway
http://www.ife.no, [email protected]
NOMAGE4, Halden 31.10&1.11.2011
04.11.2011
Institutt for energiteknikk
• Since 1951 Norway has Heavy Water research Reactors operated by the ‘Institutt for energiteknikk’ (IFE),
• JEEP II, max. effect of 2 MW, is located at Kjeller near Oslo,
• Halden Reactor, max effect 25 MW, is located at Halden, 140 km south of Kjeller.
• NMAT, Kjeller, supports both reactors with fuel and hot cell services.
X Halden
X Kjeller
04.11.2011
NMAT (12 employees)
• Post irradiation examination of nuclear fuel (PIE)
• Fabrication of fresh standard & experimental nuclear fuel (up to 20 %
enrichment)
• Refabrication and instrumentation of pre-irradiated nuclear fuel
• Service and Maintenance
• Nuclear waste handling
• Intermediate storage of fresh and spent fuel
• Safety and Saveguarding
NMAT capabilities
04.11.2011
Fuel cycle and PIE facilities
Lead shielded cells
Hot Cell Labs
Concrete shielded cells 4 PBq = 4x10eks15 Bq
Intermediate storage pits
for spent fuel
Pilot production plant
for UO2-fuel
Fuel cycle facilities
Alpha lab with glove boxes equipped
for MOX fuel rod production
04.11.2011
Fuel Production Laboratory • The laboratory has a complete line for UO2- pellet production (milling, sifting,
mixing, pressing (various enrichments & dimensions), sintering, grinding, drilling, cutting, quality control, etc).
• The laboratory produces ca. 200 kg fuel pellets p.a for HBWR and JEEPII.
• Fuel pellets (e.g. PWR, BWR, Booster, 5th Charge, JEEP2) for standard and experimental fuel rods.
• The alpha/MOX laboratory is equipped for fabrication and instrumentation of MOX-containing fuel rods.
• The laboratory is not equipped for production of MOX pellets from powder.
• Various quality control tests can be performed/ MOX
04.11.2011
Post-irradiation examination (PIE) capabilities
at Kjeller (1 of 3)
PIE, non-destructive test methods
• Visual inspection
• Profilometry & dimensional measurements
• Eddy current testing
• Neutronradiography
• -scanning of fuel
• -scanning of plenum / Kr-85 method for non-destruction determination
of released fission gas
04.11.2011
Facility: Jeep II reactor with its experimental
beam channels is used in Neutronradiography
04.11.2011
Neutron radiography
• Fuel rod features (fuel rod integrity, relocation of pellets, fuel cracking, PCMI)
• Instrumentation • Hydrogen in cladding / moisture in fuel rod • Resolution: 50 m • Stitching and e-mailing of digital images
04.11.2011
PIE capabilities at Kjeller (2 of 3)
Destructive structural PIE & chemical analysis of nuclear
fuel • Puncturing & fission gas analysis
• Chemical dissolution of fuel / Sampling for burn-up & analysis / retained
fission gas analysis
• Hydrogen in clad - melt extraction analysis
• Metallography / Ceramography
• Optical microscopy, SEM,
• Analytical SEM (EDS) of oxides and metals
• Quantitative image analysis (grains, pores, MFP, oxide layer etc)
• Micro -scanning
• and autoradiography
• Fuel density
• O/U ratio (oxidation of fuel)
• Raman spectroscopy – oxide characterisation
• Cutting for TEM foil preparation
04.11.2011
Remote handled anaytical SEM
Study of irradiated steels, Zry & fuel (replicas or miniature specimens)
•Hot-cell modified, partial shielding SEM: Jeol 6100 (1995)
•10x - about 100.000x
•up to 30 kV
•SEI, BEI detectors
•EDX-Detector/Analysing System (2011)
•SemAfore – digital image recording
04.11.2011
PIE capabilities at Kjeller (3 of 3)
Electronic data aquisition & treatment
Destructive mechanical PIE
• Tensile testing
• Hardness testing
• Burst testing
• Stress-corrosion cracking
PIE of steels
• Characterisation of fracture surfaces (SEM)
• Microstructure – metallography
• Mechanical properties
04.11.2011
Refabrication & Instrumentation of Irradiated
Fuel Rods
Available remote handled in-cell machines
• Cutting & Grinding Unit (Lathe)
• Drilling & Freezing Unit (Lathe)
• Welding&Pressurisation Unit
• Milling machine
Refabrication of irradiated experimental fuel rods (UO2, MOX)
• Encapsulation (AGR rods)
• Preparation of irradiated fuel segments & attachment of
instrumented endplugs to the segments
Endplug instumentation
TF:Temperature Fuel
PF: Pressure Fuel
EC: Elongation Clad
TC: Temperature Clad
04.11.2011
Re-fabrication & instrumentation of irradiated fuel
rod segments • Remote handled in-cell machines are in operation since 1991
• BU of re-fabricated & instrumented rods was up to 100 MWd/kg U
• >130 fuel UO2 / MOX rods were re-fabricated and/or instrumented
• > 40 rods were equipped with a thermocouple
04.11.2011
Remote handled milling machine in hot cell
• For fabrication of test samples from irradiated
material, i.e. CTs, tensile specimens
• Modified, remote handled milling machine
installed in concrete cell.
• The milling machine is operated with MS
manipulators.
• Electric control unit and steering box separate
from the machine.
• Special specimen jig and tool change fittings.
• The milling machine is installed in a containment
box (milling particles)
• A central vacuum cleaner removes particles from
milling
04.11.2011
Machining of Test Samples from Irradiated Materials
• Specimen preparation from irradiated steel and Zircaloy for corrosion and mechanical testing (CT Specimens, etc.)
• Operations: Cutting, Milling, Welding