Irradiation performance of metallic fuels

Argonne National Laboratory has been working for the past 5 yr to develop and demonstrate the Integral Fast Reactor concept. The concept involves a closed system for fast reactor power generation and on-site fuel reprocessing, both designed specifically around the use of metallic fuel. The Experimental Breeder Reactor II has used metallic fuel for all of its 25-yr life. In 1985, tests were begun to examine the irradiation performance of advanced-design metallic fuel systems based on U-Zr or U-Pu-Zr fuels. These test have demonstrated the viable performance of these fuel systems to high burnup. The initial testing program is described in this paper. The performance data base to date has shown that metallic fuel systems can perform reliably to high burnups over a wide range of design conditions. The data base is continually being strengthened to support performance modeling efforts and development of advanced reactor systems such as General Electric Company's PRISM.