Advanced fuel development in AECL

The Advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR) offers a significant reduction in capital cost compared to current operating designs, and improvements in inherent safety characteristics and performance. It is built on the traditional CANDU fuel-channel design with on-power refueling, and features light-water coolant, heavy-water moderator and reflector, enriched uranium CANFLEX fuel, and a reduced lattice pitch (distance between fuel channels). This core design retains important benefits of the well-established CANDU 6 reactor, and introduces additional improvements. Fuel is a key enabling technology in the ACR. This paper describes the ACR fuel, the experience on which the design is based, and the fuel qualification program. (author)