In-pile testing and instrumentation for development of generation-IV fuels and materials

Presents the proceedings of a technical meeting providing an overview of the progress in methods and technologies used for the irradiation testing of nuclear fuel achieved in the last five years. Emphasis is given to advanced techniques applied for the understanding of high burn up fuel behaviour of water cooled power reactors.

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Generation-IV reactors are being designed as nuclear systems with revolutionary features, offering higher levels of safety, economics, proliferation resistance and sustainability than the current generation. At present six designs, at different levels of preparedness, have been selected as the most promising, and their implementation is planned around 2040. Having in mind that the process of new fuel design and licensing takes decades, development of their radiation testing techniques is an urgent task. At the same time about 96% of the currently operated 435 power units in 30 countries are watercooled reactors, and the process of the evolutionary deployment of their upgraded Generation III+ is ongoing with economically driven gradual increase of fuel burnup, that pushes down the fuel share in the overall cost of nuclear power