04.11.2011

Material characterization Capabilities at

IFE Kjeller (NMAT)

Institute for Energy Technology

Sector: Nuclear Safety & Reliability

NUSP, Head: Dr. M.McGrath

Department: Nuclear Materials Technology

NMAT Head: Dr. B.C.Oberländer

P.O.Box 40,

N-2027 Kjeller, Norway

http://www.ife.no, barbara.oberlander@ife.no

NOMAGE4, Halden 31.10&1.11.2011

04.11.2011

Institutt for energiteknikk

• Since 1951 Norway has Heavy Water research Reactors operated by the ‘Institutt for energiteknikk’ (IFE),

• JEEP II, max. effect of 2 MW, is located at Kjeller near Oslo,

• Halden Reactor, max effect 25 MW, is located at Halden, 140 km south of Kjeller.

• NMAT, Kjeller, supports both reactors with fuel and hot cell services.

X Halden

X Kjeller

04.11.2011

NMAT (12 employees)

• Post irradiation examination of nuclear fuel (PIE)

• Fabrication of fresh standard & experimental nuclear fuel (up to 20 %

enrichment)

• Refabrication and instrumentation of pre-irradiated nuclear fuel

• Service and Maintenance

• Nuclear waste handling

• Intermediate storage of fresh and spent fuel

• Safety and Saveguarding

NMAT capabilities

04.11.2011

Fuel cycle and PIE facilities

Lead shielded cells

Hot Cell Labs

Concrete shielded cells 4 PBq = 4x10eks15 Bq

Intermediate storage pits

for spent fuel

Pilot production plant

for UO2-fuel

Fuel cycle facilities

Alpha lab with glove boxes equipped

for MOX fuel rod production

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Fuel Production Laboratory • The laboratory has a complete line for UO2- pellet production (milling, sifting,

mixing, pressing (various enrichments & dimensions), sintering, grinding, drilling, cutting, quality control, etc).

• The laboratory produces ca. 200 kg fuel pellets p.a for HBWR and JEEPII.

• Fuel pellets (e.g. PWR, BWR, Booster, 5th Charge, JEEP2) for standard and experimental fuel rods.

• The alpha/MOX laboratory is equipped for fabrication and instrumentation of MOX-containing fuel rods.

• The laboratory is not equipped for production of MOX pellets from powder.

• Various quality control tests can be performed/ MOX

04.11.2011

Post-irradiation examination (PIE) capabilities

at Kjeller (1 of 3)

PIE, non-destructive test methods

• Visual inspection

• Profilometry & dimensional measurements

• Eddy current testing

• Neutronradiography

• -scanning of fuel

• -scanning of plenum / Kr-85 method for non-destruction determination

of released fission gas

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Facility: Jeep II reactor with its experimental

beam channels is used in Neutronradiography

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Neutron radiography

• Fuel rod features (fuel rod integrity, relocation of pellets, fuel cracking, PCMI)

• Instrumentation • Hydrogen in cladding / moisture in fuel rod • Resolution: 50 m • Stitching and e-mailing of digital images

04.11.2011

PIE capabilities at Kjeller (2 of 3)

Destructive structural PIE & chemical analysis of nuclear

fuel • Puncturing & fission gas analysis

• Chemical dissolution of fuel / Sampling for burn-up & analysis / retained

fission gas analysis

• Hydrogen in clad - melt extraction analysis

• Metallography / Ceramography

• Optical microscopy, SEM,

• Analytical SEM (EDS) of oxides and metals

• Quantitative image analysis (grains, pores, MFP, oxide layer etc)

• Micro -scanning

• and autoradiography

• Fuel density

• O/U ratio (oxidation of fuel)

• Raman spectroscopy – oxide characterisation

• Cutting for TEM foil preparation

04.11.2011

Remote handled anaytical SEM

Study of irradiated steels, Zry & fuel (replicas or miniature specimens)

•Hot-cell modified, partial shielding SEM: Jeol 6100 (1995)

•10x - about 100.000x

•up to 30 kV

•SEI, BEI detectors

•EDX-Detector/Analysing System (2011)

•SemAfore – digital image recording

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SEM – fracture surface morphology and

microstructure details (replica technique)

04.11.2011

PIE capabilities at Kjeller (3 of 3)

Electronic data aquisition & treatment

Destructive mechanical PIE

• Tensile testing

• Hardness testing

• Burst testing

• Stress-corrosion cracking

PIE of steels

• Characterisation of fracture surfaces (SEM)

• Microstructure – metallography

• Mechanical properties

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Visual inspection, metallography ceramography,

hydrogen analysis, tensile testing

04.11.2011

Refabrication & Instrumentation of Irradiated

Fuel Rods

Available remote handled in-cell machines

• Cutting & Grinding Unit (Lathe)

• Drilling & Freezing Unit (Lathe)

• Welding&Pressurisation Unit

• Milling machine

Refabrication of irradiated experimental fuel rods (UO2, MOX)

• Encapsulation (AGR rods)

• Preparation of irradiated fuel segments & attachment of

instrumented endplugs to the segments

Endplug instumentation

TF:Temperature Fuel

PF: Pressure Fuel

EC: Elongation Clad

TC: Temperature Clad

04.11.2011

Re-fabrication & instrumentation of irradiated fuel

rod segments • Remote handled in-cell machines are in operation since 1991

• BU of re-fabricated & instrumented rods was up to 100 MWd/kg U

• >130 fuel UO2 / MOX rods were re-fabricated and/or instrumented

• > 40 rods were equipped with a thermocouple

04.11.2011

Remote handled milling machine in hot cell

• For fabrication of test samples from irradiated

material, i.e. CTs, tensile specimens

• Modified, remote handled milling machine

installed in concrete cell.

• The milling machine is operated with MS

manipulators.

• Electric control unit and steering box separate

from the machine.

• Special specimen jig and tool change fittings.

• The milling machine is installed in a containment

box (milling particles)

• A central vacuum cleaner removes particles from

milling

04.11.2011

Machining of Test Samples from Irradiated Materials

• Specimen preparation from irradiated steel and Zircaloy for corrosion and mechanical testing (CT Specimens, etc.)

• Operations: Cutting, Milling, Welding

04.11.2011

Facility: Dry storage pits for spent

fuel & semi annual IAEA Inspection