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Title: Uncertainties in modeling and scaling in the prediction of fuel stored energy and thermal response

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5535250

The steady-state temperature distribution and the stored energy in nuclear fuel elements are computed by analytical methods and used to rank, in the order of importance, the effects on stored energy from statistical uncertainties in modeling parameters, in boundary and in operating conditions. An integral technique is used to calculate the transient fuel temperature and to estimate the uncertainties in predicting the fuel thermal response and the peak clad temperature during a large-break loss of coolant accident. The uncertainty analysis presented here is an important part of evaluating the applicability, the uncertainties and the scaling capabilities of computer codes for nuclear reactor safety analyses. The methods employed in this analysis merit general attention because of their simplicity. It is shown that the blowdown peak is dominated by fuel stored energy alone or, equivalently, by linear heating rate. Gap conductance, peaking factors and fuel thermal conductivity are the three most important fuel modeling parameters affecting peak clad temperature uncertainty. 26 refs., 10 figs., 6 tabs.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76CH00016
OSTI ID:
5535250
Report Number(s):
BNL-NUREG-40498; CONF-8710111-24; ON: DE88003484; TRN: 88-004845
Resource Relation:
Conference: 15. water reactor safety information meeting, Gaithersburg, MD, USA, 26 Oct 1987; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English