Prediction of the Isotopic Composition of UO2 Fuel from a BWR: Analysis of the DU1 Sample from the Dodewaard Reactor

As part of a larger program to study mixed-oxide fuel subject to high burnup, some UO2 samples were exposed and analyzed. This report discusses results from the analysis of a UO sample that was burned in a boiling-water reactor (BWR) to approximately 57 GWd/t. The sample
enrichment was high (a 235U content of 4.94%) relative to the surrounding UO fuel. The isotopic content of the discharged sample was determined experimentally (both actinides and fission products), and the measured concentrations are compared with calculated values using both the Oak Ridge National Laboratory SCALE system and the HELIOS code system that is marketed by Scandpower. Because the sample enrichment differed from that of the surrounding fuel, this test was a rather stringent test of the simulation models. These results are discussed, as are the general issues surrounding the simulation of fuel burnup in a BWR.