Power-to-melt evaluation of fresh mixed-oxide fast reactor fuel. Technical improvements of the post-irradiation-experiment and the evaluation of the results for the power-to-melt test PTM-2 in 'JOYO'

The second Power-To-Melt (PTM) test, PTM-2, was performed in the experimental fast reactor 'JOYO'. All of the twenty-four fuel pins of the irradiation vehicle, B5D-2, for the PTM-2 test, were provided for post-irradiation-experiment (PIE) to evaluate the PTM values. In this study, the PIE technique for PTM test was established and the PTM results were evaluated. The findings are as follows: The maximum fuel-melting ratio on the transverse section was 10.7%, and was within the limit of fuel-melting in this PTM test enough. Unexpected fuel-melting amount to a ratio of 11.8% was found at ∼24 mm below the peak power elevation in a test fuel pin. It is possible that this arose from secondary fuel-melting. Combination of metallographical observation with X-ray microanalysis of plutonium distribution was very effective for the identification of once-molten fuel zone. The PTM evaluation suggested that dependence of the PTM on the fuel pellet density was stronger than that of previous foreign PTM tests, while the dependence on the pellet-cladding gap and the oxygen-to-metal ratio was indistinctly. The dependence on the cladding temperature and the fill gas composition was not shown as well. (author)