Preliminary design of nuclear fuel intergrity test

• Main Author: Anas Syahmi Bin Mustafa
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: sipping; nuclear fuel element; nuclear reactor

Malaysian Nuclear Agency (Nuklear Malaysia) is a research institute administered by the Malaysian government located in Kajang, Selangor. The institute operates the one and only research reactor in the country, which is of Mark II Type, commissioned in 1982. All of the stainless steel-cladded fuel elements have been in the core since its first criticality, and concerns have arisen regarding the integrity of spent fuel claddings. To keep its electrical conductivity low and the pH level near neutral, the reactor coolant has to be treated and managed. Proper treatment of the coolant is also done so that the level of corrosion of reactor parts, primarily the fuel rods, can be kept at the minimum. This project aims to propose a concept of leak monitoring method designed for the evaluation of potential defects in the TRIGA fuel elements according to the results of the sipping test.