Production of carbon monoxide during burn-up of UO 2 kerneled HTR fuel particles
Abstract
Mass-spectrometric measurements of CO contained in irradiated UO 2 kerneled HTR fuel particles are summarized and evaluated. The oxygen release O/F (atoms per fission) at the end of irradiation is found to be a function of irradiation time t (days) and irradiation temperature T (particle surface temperature, °C); no dependence upon the type of nuclide fissioned (uranium or plutonium) could be found. Within the limits of 66 < t < 550 days, 950 < T < 1525° CandO/ F <0.40 fU + 0.85 fPu ( fU, fPu are the fractions of fissions in uranium and plutonium, respectively) the oxygen release can be represented by the empirical expression log{( O/ F)/ t2} = -0.21-8500/( T + 273). A tentative model explaining this result is proposed.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Nuclear Materials
- Pub Date:
- June 1982
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0022-3115(82)90426-3
- Bibcode:
- 1982JNuM..107..280P