On the behaviour of dissolved fission gases prior to transient testing of fuel pins

The TREAT and CABRI series of reactor safety experiments on irradiated fuel require the transfer of fuel pins from the reactor in which the fuel has achieved some burn-up to the test facility. Subsequently, the fuel is restored to power in the test facility for some time before transient heating is initiated. Such pre-test manoeuvres, where the fuel is subjected to changes in the fission rate and temperature, may have important consequences for the fission gas behaviour during the transient experiment. The results of rate theory calculations are used to assess these effects. (author)