Quad cities nuclear and fuel performance measurements. Final report

This report summarizes the EPRI-sponsored Fuel Performance Program (Contract RP 497-1), which began in the early 1970's and extended through eight years of fuel irradiation in the Quad Cities-1 reactor. The program obtained carefully regulated high burnup irradiation data on Boiling Water Reactor uranium, gadolinium and mixed oxide (both annular and solid pellet) fuels. Four high power fuel assemblies located at the core center and one peripheral low power reference fuel assembly were irradiated to peak burnup levels of approximately 57,000 MWd/MT, and a peak power level of approximately 15.5 kW/ft. Measurements performed and summarized in this report include: detailed global gamma scans and local pin-by-pin gamma scans through five cycles of irradiation; the measurement of neutron fast and thermal flux distributions for local, simulated one stuck control rod cold criticals; both axial and radial mass spectrometric measurements; fuel rod neutrographs completed at the site; end-view neutrographs completed on partially depleted gadolinia pellets; channel bulge, bow, flatness, displacement and nondestructive inspections; rod length measurements; and fission-gas release measurements after two different cycles of irradiation.