WORKSCOPE

INTRODUCTION

Many of the nuclear fuel fabrication steps have a significant effect on fuel performance; therefore, the audits of the fuel fabrication process are an important step to assure that the fuel will perform as designed, including the margins to regulatory limits and failure.

The time, as well as the utility and vendor manpower available for auditing is limited compared to the extensive amount of time that would be required to audit every detail of the fabrication process. The objective of this Fabrication QA Seminar is to provide guidance for a cost effective audit that uses audit time on areas that are most likely to affect the performance of the fuel.

The Fabrication QA Seminar will focus on a “Process Audit” procedure, the audit of the fabrication process parameters for making high quality fuel. Of the various audit types, this is the most difficult to implement successfully, as an auditor will require the appropriate combination of fabrication process and fuel performance knowledge, a background this Fabrication QA Seminar intends to supplement.

This Fabrication QA Seminar provides the “what, why and how” to look at in an audit by:

• Listing the generic fabrication process steps for all components and their assembly (what to look for)
• Identifying important audit points and the attendant potential effect of deviations on performance (why to look)
• Assess the fabrication and QC process control at critical points (how to look)

The Fabrication QA Seminar also provides guidance for setting up and carrying out an effective audit and very importantly, how to handle deviations found by either the vendor or the utility auditors.

Brief discussions of the appropriate vendor QA and QC organizations and accepted QA standards are included.

SEMINAR OBJECTIVES
The objective of the Seminar is to provide guidance for a cost effective audit that uses audit time on areas that are most likely to affect the performance of the fuel.

PROPOSED PARTICIPANTS
Staff involved in nuclear fuel management, QA and QC.

CONTENTS

The two-day Seminar consists of the following modes.

1. Lectures
2. Workshop to practice the use of the Handbook

Below is an outline of the Seminar:

Day 1 ( 9 am to 5 pm)

• Introduction
• QA Audits and QA Standards
  
  
  • Overall Objectives
  • Audit types (quality system, fab. process, fab. procedure, product - description of each with examples)
  • Audit procedures (agenda, entrance mtg. Audit, exit meeting)
  • Handling of deviations (identified by the vendor, identified by the auditor)
  • Follow-up


• Structures and components
  
  • PWR, BWR, latest versions of various vendors
• Qualification Programs
  
  • Its objectives and methods by which vendors do it
  • Its importance, handling of process changes, need to audit qualification and compare to current process


• Fuel and Pellets
  
  • Sources of fuel (ore, UF6, enrichment) – briefly
  • Conversion UF6 to UO2 powder
  • Blending, press feed preparation
  • Pellet pressing, sintering, grinding (drying)
  • Burnable absorbers, (PWR, BWR)


• Zirconium Alloy Component Fabrication
  • Application of Zr component in assembly, summary of current alloy compositions
  • Structure of the industry (what companies do what to produce final product)
  • BRIEF section on relationship between fabrication, microstructure and performance
  • Ore to sponge fabrication (brief)
  • Ingot fabrication
  • Tube shells, liner shells
  • Tubing (cladding, guide tubes, water rods)
  • Bar stock
  • Spacer strips
  • Channel sheet

Day 2 (9 am to 12 am)

• Fuel Rod
  
  • Assembly procedure
  • Welding
  • Traceability of fuel and cladding

• Spacer Grids
  • Punching
  • Inconel springs and sheet
  • Assembly, welding (PWR, BWR)

• End Fittings
  • PWR nozzles
  • BWR tie plates
  • Stainless steel and Ni alloy parts

• Bundle Assembly
  
  • PWR - skeleton assembly
  • BWR - ditto

• BWR Fuel Channels
  
  • Forming
  • Welding

(1 pm to 4 pm)

Workshop