Nuclear Fuel Design Laboratory

Main Activity Areas

• Design of fuel and reactor core components (fuel rods, absorber rods, fuel assemblies, and RCCA)
• Design of elements used to compensate excessive reactivity of spent fuel in ventilated storage containers of the Zaporizhya NPP Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Facility (absorber rods and absorber inserts)
• Fuel design, development and fabrication of fuel rods and fuel assemblies for the sub-critical assembly of the “Neutron Source” nuclear facility
• Mechanical, thermal physical, and thermal hydraulic analysis of fuel rod, absorber rod, and fuel assembly behavior during steady state and transient operation of WWER mixed cores and spent fuel with absorber inserts in ventilated storage containers of spent nuclear fuel dry storage facilities
• Development of programs for visual inspection, measurements, and testing of fresh and spent Westinghouse fuel assemblies, and participation in fuel assembly reloads during their 4-cycle reactor operation
• Release of annual core follow reports on the pilot-commercial operation of Westinghouse fuel assemblies at South Ukraine and Zaporizhya NPPs
• Comparative analysis of new and current validated computer codes used for reactor core design and safety analysis
• Participation in analysis, research, and development of recommendations on material science issues arising during design, pilot, pilot-commercial, and commercial operation of new products for reactor cores (fuel assemblies, RCCA, absorber inserts, fuel rods, and absorber rods)
• Supervision of the NFC STE NFC STE NSC KIPT Quality Management System
• Scientific, technical, and administrative management of the Science and Technology Sector for Fuel Elements, its R&D and contractual work
• Supervision of the training provided to the specialists of the Steam Generator Building Department of the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute in reactor physics, fuel and fuel elements

Product Examples

• Technical Specification for Westinghouse Fuel Assemblies, WEC-UNFQP-005 (T), Rev. 3, January 2005
• Safety Substantiation for the Use of Westinghouse Lead Test Assemblies in the SUNPP, Unit 3, WEC-UNFQP-006, Rev. 3, February 2005.
• Core Follow Report for Cycle 21 of South Ukraine NPP, Unit 3
• Technical Specifications for Westinghouse Fuel Assemblies for VVER-1000 Reactors, WEC-UNFQP-01(Т), July 2010
• Advanced (Engineering) Design of the Absorber Insert for Ventilated Storage Containers of Zaporizhya NPP Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Facility, 2005-2008
• Absorber Insert for Ventilated Storage Containers of Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Facilities Technical Specification. 12-1-005.00 TU.2008

Customers

• NNEGC Energoatom (including: Zaporizhya NPP, South Ukraine NPP, Atomenergomash);
• National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine;
• Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine;
• State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine;
• Science and Technology Center in Ukraine;
• PNNL;
• Westinghouse

Current and Past Projects of the Nuclear Fuel Design Laboratory

• Ukraine Nuclear Fuel Qualification Project (1999 – currently);
• Development of the Conceptual Design of the Neutron Source Facility Based on the Electron Accelerator and Sub-Critical Assembly with Reduced Enrichment Fuel;
• Development of the Advanced (Engineering) Design of the Absorber Insert for Ventilated Storage Containers of Zaporizhya NPP Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Facility 2005-2008;
• Manufacturing of pilot and commercial batches of absorber rods for absorber inserts for ventilated storage containers of Zaporizhya NPP Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Facility; over 2,000 absorber rods manufactured since 2007;
• Development of the technology and manufacturing area for fabrication of absorber inserts for ventilated storage containers of spent nuclear fuel dry storage facilities at Atomenergomash, NNEGC Energoatom, 2010 – currently;
• Development of absorber materials and absorber element structures for the upgraded RCCA with a combined absorbers В4С+hafnium and В4С+dysprosium hafnate;
• Development of enhanced fuel materials for power and research nuclear facilities;
• Design of the manufacturing area for commercial fabrication of absorber inserts for ventilated storage containers of spent nuclear fuel dry storage facilities

Receiving Inspection of the Westinghouse Reload Batch of 42 Fuel

Westinghouse fuel fabrication facility in Sweden	Checking Westinghouse fuel assemblies after shipping
Radiation control	Attaching stabilizer bars to the fuel assembly strongback and uprighting the strongback with Westinghouse fuel assemblies
Checking beading on the bolts attaching guide thimbles to the Westinghouse fuel assembly bottom nozzle	Visual inspection of fuel rod axial position difference
Checking Westinghouse fuel assembly geometry in the envelope	Checking a fresh Westinghouse fuel assembly's bottom end plug level

Visual Inspection of Westinghouse Fuel Assemblies after Each Operation Cycle

• No damaged FA components (spacer grids, fuel rod cladding)
• Leakage tests confirm absence of depressurization
• No indications of the bow that would prevent further FA operation

Comparison of the TVSA and Westinghouse designs