CANFLEX fuel bundle mechanical fretting endurance test (interim report -500 hour test)

This document outlines the test results for the 1st stage of endurance test (500 hour test) of the CANFLEX fuel bundle. Endurance test is performed to verify that the amount of bearing pad wears of the bundles and fretting marks of the pressure tube are acceptable during normal reactor operation. The endurance test specification requires that the bundles and the pressure tube should be measured and inspected at each 500 hr, 1,000 hr test under the specified test conditions. The vibration measurements were also performed during the endurance test. The test conditions were 266 deg C, 11.0 MPa, 31.0 kg/s at pressure tube inlet of the loop. The maximum delta-p bundle alignments were chosen. The important test procedures and measurement results were discussed as follows. 1) Test bundle measurements and the pressure tube inspections (Videoscope inspections and replication casting) before the test 2) Fuel bundle loading and preliminary loop operation for removing the dissolved oxygen 3) Perform the 500 hr test and the vibration measurements 4) Inspections and measurements of the inlet 3 bundles and the pressure tube (Videoscope Inspections and Replication Casting). (author). 5 refs., 1 tab., 4 figs