Abstract
Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) has been carrying out design studies of the Gas Turbine High Temperature Reactor (GTHTR300). The design study on fuel rod for the GTHTR300 has investigated two structural designs for fuel rod and corresponding fuel rod support structures. In the first design, the fuel rod is supported by horizontal spacers protruded from the fuel rod. In the second design, the fuel rod is supported by ribs positioned on the inner surface of coolant channel. The evaluation performed on thermal expansion, irradiation deformation, seismic response and so on, confirmed the structural integrity of both fuel rod designs. However, additional evaluation on coolant flow pressure loss and other economical aspects revealed the advantage of the spacer over the rib type of fuel rod design, leading selection of the spacer type as the reference design. This paper describes the results of the design study and evaluation on the fuel rod structures. The results of a study on the design and economics of coated fuel particles were reported in Part I of this paper published previously. These two investigations confirmed the technical feasibility and economical acceptance of the reference fuel rod design for the GTHTR300.
