[en] The AFIP-6 (ATR Full-size-plate In center flux trap Position) Characterization Summary Report outlines the fresh fuel characterization efforts performed during the AFIP-6 experiment. The AFIP-6 experiment was designed to evaluate the performance of monolithic uranium-molybdenum (U-Mo) fuels at a scale prototypic of Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) fuel plates (45-inches long). The AFIP-6 test was the first test with plates that were swaged into the rails of the assembly. This test served to examine the effects of a plate in a swaged condition with longer fuel zones (22.5-inches long), that were centered in the plate. AFIP-6 test plates employed a zirconium interlayer that was co-rolled with the fuel foil. Previous mini-plate and AFIP irradiation experiments performed in ATR have demonstrated the stable behavior of the interface between the U-Mo fuel and the zirconium interlayer.

[en] The AFIP-4 (ATR Full -size-plate In center flux trap Position) experiment was designed to evaluate the performance of monolithic fuels at a scale prototypic of research reactor fuel plates. Twelve qualified fueled plates were fabricated for the AFIP-4 experiment; to be irradiated in the INL Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). This report provides details of the fuel fabrication efforts; including material selection, fabrication processes, and fuel plate qualification.

[en] For the failure of a low-temperature globe valve, through disassembly and material analysis, the cause of the failure was initially determined to be caused by adhesive wear between the disc guide rod and the valve seat. From the three aspects of material detection, stress and adhesive wear, the failure mechanism of stainless steel motion pair was analyzed. Finally, the wear test was carried out for chrome plating and non-chromium plating. Tests showed that when the valve seat is chrome-plated, the surface hardness of the guide portion is increased, which could effectively prevent the adhesive wear failure of the guide rod and the valve seat guide hole. (paper)

[en] The first fuel plate frame assembly of the AFIP-6 MKII experiment was irradiated as planned from December, 2011 through February, 2012 in the center flux trap of the Advanced Test Reactor during cycle 151A. Following irradiation in this cycle and while reconfiguring the experiment in the ATR canal, a non-fueled component (the bottom plate) of the first fuel plate frame assembly became separated from the rail sides. There is no evidence that the fueled region of the fuel plate frame assembly was compromised by this incident or the irradiation conditions. The separation of this component was determined to have been caused by flow induced vibrations, where vortex shedding frequencies were resonant with a natural frequency of the bottom plate component. This gave way to amplification, fracture, and separation from the assembly. Although parallel flow induced vibrations were analyzed, vortex shedding flow induced vibrations was an unfamiliar failure mode that was difficult to identify. Both the once-irradiated first fuel plate and un-irradiated second fuel plate frame assemblies were planned for irradiation in the subsequent cycle 151B. The AFIP-6 MKII experiment was excluded from irradiation in cycle 151B because non-trivial design modifications would be needed to mitigate this type of incident during the second irradiation cycle. All items of the experiment hardware were accounted for and cycle 151B occurred with a non-fueled AFIP backup assembly in the center flux trap. Options for completion of the AFIP-6 MKII experiment campaign are presented and future preventative actions are recommended.

[en] The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) Full-size Plate In Center Flux Trap Position (AFIP)-2 experiment was designed to evaluate the performance of monolithic fuels at a scale prototypic of research reactor fuel plates. Two qualified fueled plates were fabricated for the AFIP 2 experiment to be irradiated in the Idaho National Laboratory ATR. This report provides details of the fuel fabrication efforts, including material selection, fabrication processes, and fuel plate qualification.

[en] Clad steel used in constructions exposed to severe corrosion conditions. Roll cladding, explosion cladding, and hot rolling of explosion clad slabs as a means of manufacture. Further development through improvement processing and service properties. Base metal for quenched and tempered clad plate. Possibilities for new combinations with austenitic, austenitic-ferritic, and ferritic super stainless steels. (orig.)

[en] Microspheres coated with a perfectly conductive surface have many advantages in the applications of biosensors and micro-electromechanical systems. Polystyrene microspheres with the diameter of 10 μm were coated with a 50 nm-thick gold layer using an electroless gold plating approach. Dielectrophoresis (DEP) for bare microspheres and shelled microspheres was theoretically analysed and the real part of the Clausius—Mossotti factor was calculated for the two kinds of microspheres. The experiments on the dielectrophoretic characterisation of the uncoated polystyrene microspheres and gold coated polystyrene microspheres (GCPMs) were carried out. Experimental results showed that the gold coated polystyrene microspheres were only acted by a positive dielectrophoretic force when the frequency was below 40M Hz, while the uncoated polystyrene microspheres were governed by a negative dielectrophoretic force in this frequency range. The gold coated polystyrene microspheres were exploited to form the microwire automatically according to their stable dielectrophoretic and electric characterisations. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

[en] The AFIP-6 (ATR Full-size plate In center flux trap Position) experiment was designed to evaluate the performance of monolithic fuels at a scale prototypic of research reactor fuel plates. Two qualified fueled plates were fabricated for the AFIP-6 experiment; to be irradiated in the INL Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). This report provides details of the fuel fabrication efforts, including material selection, fabrication processes, and fuel plate qualification.

[en] The fuel for ship reactors has to comply with relatively strict technical specifications. These are briefly summarized in this paper which includes a description of the 'CARAMEL' type plate and uranium dioxide fuel designed for the C.A.S. type plants for merchant ship propulsion. The original features of this fuel are also of benefit to safety owing to the fact that this dispersed type of fuel is cold and partitioned. The in-pile and out-of-pile qualification tests already carried out and in hand at the CEA are reviewed

[en] The 2004 visual inspection of four Uruguay nuclear fuel assemblies stored in L-Basin was completed. This was the third inspection of this wet stored fuel since its arrival in the summer of 1998. Visual inspection photographs of the fuel from the previous and the recent inspections were compared and no evidence of significant corrosion was found on the individual fuel plate photographs. Fuel plates that showed areas of pitting in the cladding during the original receipt inspection were also identified during the 2004 inspection. However, a few pits were found on the non-fuel aluminum clamping plates that were not visible during the original and 2001 inspections