Neutron-physical and heat-engineering aspects of uranium-graphite reactors loaded with enriched-uranium fuel elements

The changes proposed in the fabrication technology for enriched-uranium fuel elements to be used in uranium-graphite reactors are associated with changes made in the fuel-element construction which could influence the local uranium burnup characteristics and the axial and radial distribution of the neutron flux density over the fuel elements and the core, the energy distribution in a fuel element and the process channel, heat transfer, and possibly the decrease of margin up to boiling. These aspects are all important for the heat-engineering reliability and operational safety of reactors