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Application of EPMA Data for the Development of the Code Systems TRANSURANUS and ALEPH

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2007

Wim Haeck ,
Bernard Verboomen ,
Arndt Schubert  and
Paul Van Uffelen
Wim Haeck
Affiliation:
SCK[bull ]CEN, The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium
Bernard Verboomen
Affiliation:
SCK[bull ]CEN, The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium
Arndt Schubert
Affiliation:
European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, P.O. Box 2340, D-76125 Karlsruhe, Germany
Paul Van Uffelen
Affiliation:
European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, P.O. Box 2340, D-76125 Karlsruhe, Germany
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Abstract

In the present article, electron probe microanalysis data for Pu and Nd is being used for validating the predictions of the radial power profile in a nuclear fuel rod at an ultrahigh burn-up of 95 and 102 MWd/kgHM. As such the validation of both the new Monte Carlo burn-up code ALEPH and the simpler TUBRNP model of the fuel rod performance code TRANSURANUS has been extended. The analysis of the absolute concentrations and individual isotopes also indicates potential improvements in the predictive capabilities of the simple TUBRNP model, based on the one-group cross sections inferred from the neutron transport calculations in the ALEPH code. This is a first important step toward extending the application range of the fuel rod performance code to burn-up values projected in nuclear power rods based on current trends.

Keywords

nuclear fuelfuel performancehigh burn-upcode verificationelectron-probe microanalysisplutonium
Type
SPECIAL SECTION: MICROANALYSIS OF MATERIALS TODAY
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , June 2007 , pp. 173 - 178
Copyright
© 2007 Microscopy Society of America

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References

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