Russia has supplied the first batches of more reliable and cost-efficient nuclear fuel over the existing one, the TVS-2M nuclear fuel, to India for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP).
What is TVS-2M Nuclear Fuel?
- The TVS-2M FAs contain gadolinium-oxide which is mixed with U-235 enrichments.
- The core does not contain BARs (Burnable Absorbers Rods).
How are they prepared?
- Once the uranium is enriched, it is ready to be converted into nuclear fuel.
- At a nuclear fuel fabrication facility, the UF6, in solid form, is heated to gaseous form, and then the UF6 gas is chemically processed to form uranium dioxide (UO2) powder.
- The powder is then compressed and formed into small ceramic fuel pellets.
- The pellets are stacked and sealed into long metal tubes that are about 1 centimetre in diameter to form fuel rods.
- The fuel rods are then bundled together to make up a fuel assembly.
- Depending on the reactor type, each fuel assembly has about 179 to 264 fuel rods.
- A typical reactor core holds 121 to 193 fuel assemblies.
Benefits offered
- TVS-2M fuel assemblies have a number of advantages making them more reliable and cost-efficient.
- The new fuel has increased uranium capacity – one TVS-2M assembly contains 7.6% more fuel material as compared to UTVS.
- Besides, the special feature of the Kudankulam fuel in particular is the new generation anti-debris filter ADF-2, efficiently protecting fuel assemblies.
- Once the new TVS-2 M fuel is used in the next refuelling, the reactor will start operations with an 18-month fuel cycle.
- It means the reactor, which has to be stopped for every 12 months for removing the spent fuel and inserting the fresh fuel bundles and allied maintenance, will have to be stopped for every 18 months.
Source: The Hindu
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