MOX fuel design for thermal reactor

As the verifying test on small number scale of pultonium thermal, the utilization of MOX fuel for light water reactors, the irradiation tests of MOX fuel were carried out at Tsuruga No. 1 BWR plant using two fuel assemblies and at Mihama No. 1 PWR plant using four, and were finished without trouble. On the basis of the results of this verifying tests on small number scale, the expert subcommittee on nuclear fuel recycling of Atomic Energy Commission decided that it is appropriate to make the preparation for the recycling utilization by using MOX fuel equivalent to 1/4 of the core of a BWR and a PWR of 800 MW class in the middle of 1990s, and by preparing 4 plants at the end of 1990s and 12 plants after 2000, which use MOX fuel equivalent to 1/3 of the core of 1000 MW class LWRs. The formation and decay of plutonium occur in nuclear reactors. Uranium and plutonium are described. The features of the design of core fuel and the points to be considered in the nuclear design of MOX fuel are explained. The design of MOX fuel assemblies, the results of using MOX fuel for the ATR 'Fugen', the fuel assemblies for the ATR core, and so on are reported. MOX fuel has been used from the beginning for the ATR 'Fugen', and the excellent results of use of 520 fuel assemblies have been accumulated. It greatly contributed to the establishment of the technologies of plutonium utilization. (K.I.)