Top Performance

The 2006 Top Fuel conference investigated whether the current trend of increasing fuel performance runs contrary to reducing fuel failure. Many fuel vendors talk of the aim to produce fuel with zero leakers or fuel which will not fail. But with the variability of manufacturing processes, the trend to push fuel harder, and the uncertainties of handling, the notion of perfect fuel may be unhelpful to utilities trying to draw the most power efficiently and safely from fuel. Against the backdrop of the proposed nuclear renaissance, a pragmatic and open approach to fuel performance during higher burn-up should form the backbone of any drive for new build. At this year's Top Fuel meeting, held in Salamanca, Spain on 22-26 October and organised by the European Nuclear Society, papers from utilities and vendors gave the impression that squaring the circle of better performance and reliability under higher burnup is possible. But this was not seen as an appropriate way forward for the early stages of the European Pressurised Water Reactor under construction at Olkiluoto in Finland.