The final in-pile experiment was carried out as a part of the program for studying the behavior of fuel element models of the BREST-OD-300 reactor under conditions of rapid increase in power

On February 23, 2022, the final in-pile experiment was carried out in the IGR reactor as part of the program for studying the behavior of fuel element models of the BREST-OD-300 reactor under conditions of rapid increase in power. Tests in the IGR reactor is carried out according to the Agreement between JSC NIKIET, RF, and the RSE NNC RK that is a result of many years of preparatory work, which started in 2016 after reaching of an agreement on joint studies of thermal reliability of mixed nitride uranium-plutonium (MNUP) fuel of the BREST-OD-300 reactor at the meeting of the RSE NNC RK and JSC NIKIET leaders. Determining the threshold values of fuel elements operability is the main purpose of in-pile experiments. These data are necessary both for verification of computational codes intended for behavior simulation of the BREST reactor core in transient and emergency processes, and for direct establishing of safe fuel operation limits.

Eight energy start-ups were carried out and unique experimental data were obtained during the testing. The experimental results are still discussed and it seems necessary to continue experimental studies of the BREST-OD-300 reactor fuel since the specialists of the RSE NNC RK and JSC NIKIET have already formulated a number of new tasks that require solving and conduction of new experiments.