Post irradiation characterisation and life extension of FBTR fuel

Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, with indigenously developed mixed carbide (U_0.3 Pu_0.7)C as the driver fuel has crossed a burn-up of 155 GWd/t without any fuel failure. The performance evaluation of fuel subassemblies through post irradiation examination carried out at various stages of burnup, thermo-mechanical modeling and analysis has given the confidence to increase the burn-up to this level from the initial design limit of 50 GWd/t. The stage wise performance evaluation of the FBTR fuel in the hot cells of radiometallurgy laboratory (RML) starting from beginning of life performance studies and subsequently at various stages of burn-up has led to a comprehensive understanding of the fuel and structural material behaviour. This paper will focus on the comprehensive performance evaluation of FBTR fuel and structural materials at different burnups