The Cabri Water Loop Project is investigating the ability of
high burn-up fuel to withstand the sharp power peaks that can
occur in power reactors due to rapid reactivity insertion in the
core. These are referred to as reactivity-induced accidents
(RIA). The project stems from previous Japanese and French tests
conducted on high burn-up pressurised water reactor (PWR) fuel
that in a few instances exhibited failure at relatively moderate
energy deposition levels. The Cabri project aims to extend the
database for high burn-up fuel performance in RIA conditions and
more importantly, to perform relevant tests under coolant
conditions representative of PWRs. The project began in 2000 and
will run until 2015. The experimental work will be carried out
at the Institut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire (IRSN)
in Cadarache, France, where the Cabri reactor is located.
Programme execution can, however, involve laboratories in
participating organisations (for instance, in relation to fuel
characterisation or post-