Framatome ANP is the world leader in LWR fuel with more than 30 years of experience, and 95,000 PWR and 45,000 BWR fuel assemblies supplied to Europe, America, Asia and Africa. With multiple families of fuel developed by Framatome and Siemens, Framatome ANP designs and manufactures fuel assemblies worldwide for all PWR and BWR reactor designs.
       Framatome ANP has an ambitious, on-going technical development program to design materials, components and advanced fuel assembly concepts for the future. The goal is high-performance fuel management and greater operational flexibility in the reactors.
       The ALLIANCE™ assembly, based on the AFA 3G family of fuels, is a result of this program.

The AFA 3G Fuel Assembly: the Current World Standard
AFA 3G, commercially produced since 1998, is designed to reach burnups of 60 MWd/kgU (assembly average). The product is used by numerous utilities around the globe and by the end of 2001, more than 50% of the reactors using 17X17 fuel assemblies in the world will be loaded with AFA 3G fuel.
       The AFA 3G uses alloy M5™ as cladding material, further extending burnups and improving operating margins. Compared to fuel rods with Zircaloy 4 cladding, fuel with M5 experiences 67% to 75% less corrosion, 80% to 90% less hydriding, and 50% to 67% less irradiation growth and creep.

ALLIANCE: The Next Generation
ALLIANCE's advanced design is applicable in both current reactors and the new European pressurized water reactors (EPR). Developed by a team of French and American engineers drawn from Framatome ANP, ALLIANCE is designed to reach burnups of at least 70 MWd/kgU, and to offer thermal/hydraulic performance ratings at least 10% higher than those of the AFA 3G family.
       The mechanical design of the ALLIANCE uses materials that allow elevated burnups while minimizing the drawbacks of assembly bowing, cladding corrosion, and hydriding of guide thimbles and grids. Alloy M5 is employed for both the claddings and the structure.
       ALLIANCE is equipped with grids that provide mechanical support for the fuel rods within the assembly and efficient coolant mixing. The grids, combined with the high qualities of the M5 material, provide unrivalled thermal/hydraulic performance with respect to the critical heat flux phenomenon.
       The qualification of ALLIANCE assemblies in commercial reactors is underway. Electricité de France (EDF) currently is evaluating the ALLIANCE assembly for possible elevated burnup fuel managements in its reactors. The 14-ft version now is installed in Paluel 2, a 1,300 MWe EDF reactor, operated in 18-month cycles. A 12-ft version was installed at Sequoyah Unit-2, a US reactor, in late 2000.


Advantages of Alliance Fuel

  • Increased performance due to high burnup and improved thermal-hydraulic margins
  • Improved safety
  • Reliability improvement
  • Enhanced economy:
    - more efficient fuel management and
      plant operating conditions
    - decreased in-plant radiological doses

 

The data herein are solely for your information and are not offered, or to be construed, as a warranty or contractual responsibility.
© 2001 Framatome ANP. All Rights Reserved.