EROSION FLOW TESTING OF PURPOSELY DEFECTED STAINLESS STEEL CLAD COMPACTED UO$sub 2$ POWDER FUEL

Compacted UO/sub 2/ powder specimens with purposely defected stainless steel cladding were erosion flow tested under simulated boiling-water reactor operating conditions, excluding neutron flux. The type of clad defects were 0.026inch wide slits, completely through the clad, varying in length from 0.25 to 1 inch. Maximum erosion flow test exposure was 6000 hours in 7 ft/sec, 536 deg F flowing water. The results of post test examination indicated that defected stainiess-clad swaged fuel with UO/sub 2/ densities greater than 90% T.D. is comparable to pellet type fuel with respect to erosion resistance. Within the test parameters, the stresses and imperfections introduced into the stainless cladding as a result of swaging did not adversely affect the corrosion characteristics of stainless steel in a boiling water reactor coolant environment. As a result of the test data, two swaged fuel rods containing 0.50-inch long slits were inserted into the VBWR reactor. The defected rods are performing satisfactorily after accumulating 1000 Mwd/t exposure, with activity due to fission gas release below 20 mu c/sec. (auth)