| Abstract: | The use of cermet type composite fuels leads to an optimised use of plutonium; a good thermomechanical behaviour due to a low operating temperature thanks to a high thermo-conductivity, that favours high burn-up due to the low fission gas release. However, the increase in the metallic mass, an alloy of zircaloy, in the core, as well as the composite nature of the fuel with two very different melting temperature ( 1873 K for the metal, and 2573 K for the ceramic) lead to a behaviour very different from that of the traditional ceramic fuel in the event of an accident. |
