A Probabilistic-Micro-mechanical Methodology for Assessing Zirconium Alloy Cladding Failure
- Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses, San Antonio, TX, 78238 (United States)
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78238 (United States)
Cladding failure of fuel rods caused by hydride-induced embrittlement is a reliability concern for spent nuclear fuel after extended burnup. Uncertainties in the cladding temperature, cladding stress, oxide layer thickness, and the critical stress value for hydride reorientation preclude an assessment of the cladding failure risk. A set of micro-mechanical models for treating oxide cracking, blister cracking, delayed hydride cracking, and cladding fracture was developed and incorporated in a computer model. Results obtained from the preliminary model calculations indicate that at temperatures below a critical temperature of 318.5 deg. C [605.3 deg. F], the time to failure by delayed hydride cracking in Zr-2.5%Nb decreased with increasing cladding temperature. The overall goal of this project is to develop a probabilistic-micro-mechanical methodology for assessing the probability of hydride-induced failure in Zircaloy cladding and thereby establish performance criteria. (authors)
- Research Organization:
- Materials Research Society, 506 Keystone Drive, Warrendale, PA, 15086-7573 (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 21062389
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Symposium on Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management, Boston - Massachusetts (United States), 27 Nov - 1 Dec 2006; Other Information: Country of input: France; 11 refs; Related Information: In: Proceedings of the symposium on Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management XXX, by Dunn, Darrell [ed. Southwest Research Inst., San Antonio, Texas (United States)]; Poinssot, Christophe [ed. CEA-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex (France)]; Begg, Bruce [ed. Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW (Australia)], v. 985, 663 pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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