KNFC Experience in Fuel Repair and Poolside Examination

摘要

During last twenty-four years of nuclear power plants operation in Korea, numerous PWRrnfuel assemblies have been used. Nowadays, utilities are eager to get high burnup, highrnpower and high integrity fuel in order to improve plant efficiency and safety. Sometimes,rnsome fuels failed during irradiation.rnRecently, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd. has successfully accomplished three years PWRrnfuel repair technology development plan. The resultant fuel repair technologies are used tornrepair Westinghouse 14×14, 16×16 and 17×17 type fuels as well as W-CE 16×16 type fuels.rnFrom this year, another three years poolside inspection technology development plan is setrnforth so as to collect fuel irradiation performance data to be used for fuel performancernimprovement program. Accordingly, fuel rod inspection technologies such as oxide layerrnthickness, fretting wear depth, rod diameter and defect measurements are on developmentrnnow. And also, fuel assembly inspection and function test technologies, such as grid oxidernlayer thickness and geometrical integrity measurement, assembly bowing, twisting, growingrnand leap spring force measurements will be developed.