[en] The main trends in the CERCA company (France) activity connected with production of fuel elements and fuel assemblies for research reactors are considered. The CERCA company has contributed much in solution of the problem of research reactor conversion for low-enriched (less than 20%) fuel on the base of uranium silicide (U₃Si₂)

[en] The objective of this paper is to present the changes which occurred at CERCA's manufacturing facility, related to the use of silicide LEU fuel. Today, CERCA is producing routinely more than twice as many plates as in the year 1988. These plates contain either UAlx or UeSi2 fuel. We will examine how CERCA managed to do so in a short period of time and succeeded to stabilize its production. Also, we will take the opportunity to present our status of silicide irradiation program. Finally, the increase from 1986 to 1990 in the use of LEU 19,75 % U235 enriched uranium, to produce MTR fuel at CERCA will be exposed

[en] CERCA has initiated a fundamental research program for better understanding the behaviour of materials during the fuel plate manufacturing process. Thanks to a major breakthrough and a careful and systematic experimental validation of fabrication parameters, CERCA succeeded to set up an advanced production process adapted to high densities up to 6 g U_T/cm³. The fabrication test was carried out on full size plates with pure U₃Si₂ in industrial conditions (on 50 plates). Next development steps include checking the stability of obtained results on large scale production and evaluating the cost increase due to the use of advanced process. Furthermore irradiation tests are necessary to qualify the 6 g density in reactor

[en] CERCA's main objective is to satisfy its customers, improving quality of its products, and maintaining the costs as low as possible. Its Research and Development program reveals this goal. Different R and D topics under development at short (recycling of scraps), at medium (X-ray imaging machine) and at long term (improvement of fuel materials) are presented as evidence of this will. (orig.)

[en] A new X-ray Inspection Machine based on directly numerized signals has been developed by CERCA. For U-distribution check, this machine presents specific advantages with respect to the previously used equipments. It also allows image processing for further developments

[en] CERCA's main objective is to satisfy its customers, improving quality of its products, and maintaining the costs as low as possible. Its Research and Development program reveals this goal. Different R and D topics under development at short (recycling of scraps), at medium (X-ray imaging machine) and at long term (improvement of fuel materials) are presented as evidence of this will. (orig.)

[en] An update on research, development and creations at the CERCA firm in the area of research reactor fuels

[en] The new FRM II design is based on a compact core. The uranium fuel is silicide U₃Si₂. A particularity of the fuel plates relates to the uranium distribution in the meat which consists of 2 areas of different uranium densities: 3 g/cm³ and 1,5 g/cm³. In the first part, this paper describes the main characteristics of the fuel plates. In the second part, the results of preliminary fabrication tests are given. Full size fuel plates have been produced using depleted uranium and adjusting the parameters of the production processes. These tests show that the fuel plates can be produced on industrial scale. Additional developments are carried out to set up series inspection techniques adapted to this double density product. (author)

[en] Cerca has been actively contributing to R+D worldwide on low-enrichment (LEU < 20%) fuels for research reactors. In 1982 Cerca developed the silicide fuel

[en] The French company CERCA played a leading part in the international effort to develop new Low Enriched Uranium (less than 20%) silicide fuel (U₃Si₂) for research reactors. Now it is focusing its research on improving the production process, particularly with regard to quality and safety. (author)