CARA bundle

CARA fuel bundle includes 52 single diameter collapsible fuel rods of about 1 meter length each, fastened by three spacer grids and two end plates. It uses SEU of 0.9% enrichment that secures the discharge burn-up of 14,500 MWd/t U. For Atucha-I it is necessary to join together five CARA bundles using an additional (external) coupling system. 

Florido, PC., R.O. Cirimello, J.E. Bergallo, A.C. Marino, D.F. Delmastro, D.O. Brasnarof, J.H. Gonzalez, and L.A. Juanico. 1999. CARA Project Advanced Fuel Bundle for HWR, Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on CANDU Fuel, September 26-30, Niagara Falls, Canada. 

Under the CARA project [8] CNEA is developing an advanced fuel bundle concept for heavy water reactors, specially designed to fit the Argentinean fuel cycle requirements. The CARA fuel bundle can be used in the reactors of both types and will substantially improve the competitiveness of nuclear option in Argentina. 

The first phase, in which two CARA fuel bundle prototypes have been built to perform hydraulic characterization of a spacer grid in low pressure drop test loop, is completed. This phase also included initial analysis of the vibrations in fuel rod - spacer spring system. Three spacer grid prototypes were tested. 

FIG. 10. CARA fuel bundle and spacer grid prototypes. 

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