Izvestiya vuzov. Yadernaya Energetika

The peer-reviewed scientific and technology journal. ISSN: 0204-3327

Experimental Justification of the Operability and Safety of Nuclear Fuel in the MIR.M1 Reactor

5/18/2026 2026 - #02 Safety, Reliability and Diagnostics of NPI

Tuzov A.A. Izhutov A.L. Petelin A.L. Burukin A.V. Ovchinnikov V.A. Dreganov O.I. Eshcherkin A.G. Kiseleva I.V. Kudrina I.V. Kudrin Yu.S. Alekseev A.V. Kuznetsova E.E. Mokeichev M.A. Markelov A.N. Sychugov M.S. Ziyatdinov E.Zh. Yashin R.A.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2026.2.10

UDC: 621.039.548

The paper presents a review of experiments carried out over the past 10 years in the loop channels of the MIR.M1 reactor for testing fuel compositions and structural materials of core elements for VVER, PWR, and BN type reactors, as well as transport reactor systems and small modular nuclear power plants (SMRs). The studies are aimed at substantiating the safety of nuclear fuel and at using the obtained experimental data for the verification of domestic computational codes. The paper describes the features of the experimental techniques and presents the main results of tests performed under steady-state and transient conditions. Transient experiments included power maneuvering modes and stepwise (“power jump”) changes in reactor power. Experiments were conducted to test fuel rods under conditions of pulse power changes corresponding to a design-basis reactivity-initiated accident (RIA). Tests were also performed under conditions simulating the maximum design-basis loss-of-coolant accident (LB LOCA). In addition, the MELT experiment was carried out to determine the maximum design limit for fuel temperature under conditions leading to fuel melting. Reactor experiments performed in the MIR.M1 reactor made it possible to substantiate the safety of using new types of nuclear fuel, including REMIX fuel, MOX fuel, accident tolerant fuel (ATF), and uranium-erbium fuel. The experiments also included studies of structural materials such as E110 high-purity alloy, E110M alloy, 42KhNM steel, and zirconium claddings with chromium coating. The tests involved various designs of fuel rod mock-ups and mock-ups of fuel assemblies (FA) for VVER-1000, VVER-1200, PWR reactors, as well as for the SHELF-M reactor system.

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MIR.M1 research reactor in-pile loop tests fuel rod experimental fuel assembly MANEUVER experiment LOCA RIA MELT experiment REMIX fuel MOX fuel

Link for citing the article: Tuzov A.A., Izhutov A.L., Petelin A.L., Burukin A.V., Ovchinnikov V.A., Dreganov O.I., Eshcherkin A.G., Kiseleva I.V., Kudrina I.V., Kudrin Yu.S., Alekseev A.V., Kuznetsova E.E., Mokeichev M.A., Markelov A.N., Sychugov M.S., Ziyatdinov E.Zh., Yashin R.A. Experimental Justification of the Operability and Safety of Nuclear Fuel in the MIR.M1 Reactor. Izvestiya vuzov. Yadernaya Energetika. 2026, no. 2, pp. 154-173; DOI: https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2026.2.10 (in Russian).

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