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XA9744826 IWGFPT/47 LIMITED DISTRIBUTION WORKING MATERIAL INTERNATIONAL WORKING GROUP ON WATER REACTOR FUEL PERFORMANCE AND TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY REPORT OF THE FOURTEEN PLENARY MEETING ORGANIZED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY AND HELD IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA 21-23 May 1997 Reproduced by the IAEA Vienna, Austria, 1997 NOTE The material in this document has been supplied by the authors and has not been edited by the IAEA. The views expressed remain the responsibility of the named authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the government(S) of the designating Member State(s). hi particular, neither the IAEA nor any other organization or body sponsoring this meeting can be held responsible for any material reproduced I il• • lM 1 CONTENTS Summary Report Appendices Appendix 1.1 List of participants 1.2 IAEA Middle Term Perspectives, extract 1.3 Opening address 1.4 List of nominated members to the IWGFPT 1.5 Letters to Messrs. J.F. Marin and P. Chantoin 2. Agenda 3. IAEA activities on Nuclear Fuel Cycle 4. National/international organization programme reports (4.1 -4.24) 5. Report of the Scientific Secretary (5, 5.1-5.5) 6. List of publications in water reactor fuel technology and performance 7. Report of Mr. Ichikawa on TCM on Advances in Pellet Techology for Improved Performance at High Bumup Presentations of Messrs. Pages, Ichikawa and Sokolov on activities and programmes to investigate high burnup fuel behaviour under RIA and LOCA conditions (8.1-8.3) 9. Review of the IAEA activities and programmes in the areas of advanced water reactors by Mr. R. Lyon of NPTD Section 10. Recommendations of the 14th Plenary Meeting of the IWGFPT 11. Table of programmes for 1997-2000 NEXT PAGE(S) left BLANK 14th Plenary Meeting of the International Working Group on Water Reactor Fuel Performance and Technology (IWGFPT) 21-23 May 1997 SUMMARY REPORT 1. Introduction The 14th Plenary Meeting of the International Working Group on Water Reactor Fuel Performance and Technology (IWGFPT) was held at IAEA Headquarters, Vienna, from 21 to 23 May 1997. Twenty-seven participants, from twenty two Member States and two international organizations, attended the meeting. The list of attendees is given in Appendix 1.1. Mr. V.M. Mourogov, Deputy Director General, Head of Department of Nuclear Energy (NE), welcomed the participants. In his opening address, Mr. Mourogov outlined the excellent co-operation between the IWGFPT and the IAEA which is entering now the third decade since IWGFPT creation in 1976. He noticed that practically all countries with fuel production and 23 of 31 countries with operating nuclear power plants are represented in the IWGFPT. He introduced Mr. V. Onoufriev, a new Scientific Secretary to the IWGFPT who replaced Mr. P. Chantoin after his separation from the Agency. Mr. Mourogov outlined the programme of the IAEA in the area of Nuclear Power and the Fuel Cycle in the light of the Middle Term Perspectives, recently prepared by the Secretariat of the IAEA (extract, see Appendix 1.2) Mr. Mourogov asked the IWGFPT for the advice on the water reactor fuel programmes for 1999-2000 and on better co-ordination of fuel related activities conducted by the IAEA and other international organizations. Mr. Mourogov thanked the IWGFPT Chairman, Mr. R.W. Stratton for his services and asked him to chair the Working Group one more time. The opening address is given in Appendix 1.3. fa reply, the Chairman, Mr. Stratton the emphasized the IWGFPT's role as advisor to the IAEA on water reactor fuel related programmes, as co-ordinator of activities between the IAEA, Member States and other international organizations and facilitator of the exchange of information between countries. Under the conditions of more demanding requirements on nuclear fuel and at the same time shrinkage of financial and human resources in nuclear fuel R&D worldwide this role is getting more important then before, fa this context avoiding duplication/overlapping of activities between international organizations in the area ,in particular between the IAEA and OECD/NEA is an important task and to be discussed later at the 14th Plenary Meeting. The Chairman expresssed his condolences for the untimely death of Honorable Professor of Tokyo University, Doctor Mishima, who had been a representative of Japan to the IWGFPT during many years and whose talents and knowledge were very important to the work of the Group. Mr. Stratton said he was ready to chair the Working Group one more time if there were no other proposals from the IWGFPT members by the end of the meeting. 2. Presentation of new members Since the 13th Plenary Meeting, we have had a pleasure of including one new Member country: Ukraine and several new members: Mr. P. Adelfang from Argentine (replaced Mr. R. Cirimello), Mr. J.A. Perrota from Brasil (replaced Mr. G.G. de Andrade), Y Mr. D. Cox from Canada (replaced Mr. P. Boczar), Mr. J.P. Pages from France (replaced Mr. J.F. Marin), Mr. N.B. Sokolov from the Russian Federation (replaced Mr. V. Onoufhev), Mr. A. Afanasyev from Ukraine. The list of nominated members to the IWGFPT is given in Appendix 1.4. Regretfully Mr. J.A. Perrota, F. Hammad, S. Kelppe, R. Seepolt, M. Das, M. Alecu, were not able to attend the meeting. Mr. C. Vitanza was replaced by Mr. A. Hanevik and Ms. M. Del Mar Domingues replaced Mr. J.M. Alonso Pacheco. Mr. R.V. Traccucci from France participated in the meeting together with Mr. Pages. Letters signed by all of the participants were sent to Mr. P. Chantoin, former IWGFPT Scientific Secretary, following his departure from the IAEA and to Mr. J.F. Marin for his retirement (Appendix 1.5). 3. Approval of the Agenda The approved agenda is given in Appendix 2. 4. Approval of the Minutes of the 13th Plenary meeting The Minutes were approved without any changes/comments. 5. IAEA activities on the Nuclear Fuel Cycle A presentation of the organization and programmes was given by Mr. N. Oi, Head of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section (NFC&MS) - Appendix 3. He also emphasized that it is necessary to avoid the IWGFPT to become stereotyped, that more visibility and impact would be needed. In order to be in consistency with the IAEA programme and budget planning two years cycle (submission of plan proposals in summer of every odd year), it will be desirable the WG to move from traditional 1.5 year cycle. He noticed that with regard to B.2. subprogramme (Reactor Fuel Technology and Performance) the massage "Mature technology, leave it to industry" still persists, and the WG has to concentrate the effort on areas where the IAEA contribution into nuclear power development is mostly efficient. Amongst such topics there are high bumup fuel, MOX fuel, assistance to developing Member States, etc. In addition, he mentioned that the co- operation with the Department of Nuclear Safety (NS) will help to find a way for joint work with newly established OECD/NEA CSNI Task Force on Fuel Performance. 6. Country Reports These reports generally gave: The general situation of the nuclear industry in the country, Fuel fabrication, Fuel performance, high burnup fuel (including MOX) operational experience, Status and trends in fuel research programmes directed to achievement sufficient safety margins at high burnups with regard to normal and transient operational conditions. Majority of countries reported on the stable situation of the nuclear fuel industry, i.e. without significant additions/cuts in nuclear power plant and fuel fabrication plant (NPP) capacities. However, People's Republic of China, Republic of Korea reported on plans to increase significantly NPP capacity. France and Japan are steadily commissioning new NPP units. NPP capacity growth in the near future is linked to the reactors of new generation. Republic of Korea reported on plans to introduce soon new fuel fabrication capacities (400 J t for PWRs and 5001 for CANDU). Fuel performance is on satisfactory level for all types of reactors reported (BWRs, PHWRs, PWRs and WWERs) and existing operational conditions. Practically all countries reported on accumulated practices and further firm plans to increase burnup level and fuel cycle length and appropriate R&D programmes on fuel improvement. At present, an increase in fuel bumup is practically limited in majority of the countries by their national regulatory authorities, e.g. up to 40 MWd/kg U in Finland, 47 MWd/kg U in France, 48 MWd/kg U and 55 MWd/kg U in Japan for PWR Step 1 and Step II fuel respectively, in Spain and etc. Demonstration of sufficient safety margins with regard to RIA and, sometimes, LOCA conditions is required. RCCA insertion problems were reported for PWRs (in Belgium, China, France, Sweden) and WWERs(Bulgaria, Russia and Ukraine). The major causes of these events have been investigated, defined and well understood (assembly and guide tube deformation due to the excessive vertical loads/stresses and insufficient assembly stiffness). Counter measures have been developed and introduced or being introduced. CANDU fuel and advanced fuel cycle R&D programmes were reported in detail by representatives of Canada and Republic of Korea. Interesting and helpful information on their activities was presented by international organizations (OECD/NEA, Joint Research Center of the Commission of the European Union) and research centers which perform international projects (CEN/SCK Mol, Studsvik Nuclear, Petten). The reports are given in Appendix 4. 7. Report of the Scientific Secretary The report was a review of the IAEA activities in the area since the last Plenary Meeting including: Technical Committee Meetings (TCMs): review since the 13th Plenary Meeting, Co-ordinated Research Programmes (CRPs): progress made since the 13th Plenary meeting, Expert's Reviews: status of preparation, Technical Co-operation Projects and Training Courses: review since the 13th Plenary Meeting, new activities, Meetings organized in co-operation with the IAEA: review of the meetings held and to be held in 1997, Symposia: on the Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Reactor Strategy: Adjusting to New Realities (Vienna, June 1997) and proposal for 1999 Symposium on MOX Fuel, Co-operation with other international organizations.