Next Generation Fuel Irradiation Capability in the High Flux Reactor Petten

This paper describes selected equipment and expertise on fuel irradiation testing at the High Flux Reactor (HFR) located in Petten, The Netherlands. The HFR is owned by the European Commission which also uses it in its scientific R&D programs. Reactor operation and commercial exploitation are performed by NRG who has become also the license holder in 2005. The reactor went first critical in 1961 and holds an operating license up to at least 2015. While in the past the HFR was obviously focusing on Light Water Reactor (LWR) fuel and material irradiation tests in support of safety assessments and life extension programs of LWR, it also played a decisive role since the 1970s in the licensing process of High Temperature Reactor fuel, notably in the German HTR development program. Over the last 10 years, the HFR was progressively used for more next generation fuel and material tests, in particular for V/HTR fuel, fuel for closed fuel cycles (UPu and Th-U fuel cycle) and transmutation, and for other innovative fuel types. As such, the HFR constitutes a significant European infrastructure tool for the development of next generation reactors and serves for the licensing of fuel and materials of planned demonstrator projects. The Petten infrastructure in support of the HFR is completed by hot cell installations at NRG enabling postirradiation examinations of various types which will equally be outlined.

FUETTERER Michael;  D'AGATA Elio;  LAURIE Mathias;  MARMIER Alain;  RAISON Philippe;  BAKKER K.;  DE GROOT Sander;  KLAASSEN Frodo; 

2008-08-27

American Nuclear Society

JRC47298

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC47298,