Study on the nitride fuel fabrication for FBR cycle (1)

In the phase-II of JNC's 'Feasibility Study on Commercialized Fuel Reactor Cycle System (the F/S)', the nitride fuels are selected as candidate for fuels for heavy metal cooled reactor, gas cooled reactor, and small scale reactor. In particular, the coated fuel particles are a promising concept for gas cooled reactor. In addition, it is necessary to study in detail the application possibility of pellet nitride fuel and vibration compaction nitride fuel for heavy metal cooled reactor and small scale reactor in the phase-II. In 2001, we studied more about additional equipments for the nitride fuel fabrication in processes from gelation to carbothermic reduction in the vibration compaction method. The result of reevaluation of off-gas mass flow around carbothermic reduction equipment in the palletizing method, showed that quantity of off-gas flow reduced and its reduction led the operation cost to decrease. We studied the possibility of fabrication of large size particles in the coated fuel particles for helium gas cooled reactor and we made basic technical issues clear. (author)