Fuel-disruption experiments under high-ramp-rate heating conditions. [LMFBR]
This topical report presents the preliminary results and analysis of the High Ramp Rate fuel-disruption experiment series. These experiments were performed in the Annular Core Research Reactor at Sandia National Laboratories to investigate the timing and mode of fuel disruption during the prompt-burst phase of a loss-of-flow accident. High-speed cinematography was used to observe the timing and mode of the fuel disruption in a stack of five fuel pellets. Of the four experiments discussed, one used fresh mixed-oxide fuel, and three used irradiated mixed-oxide fuel. Analysis of the experiments indicates that in all cases, the observed disruption occurred well before fuel-vapor pressure was high enough to cause the disruption. The disruption appeared as a rapid spray-like expansion and occurred near the onset of fuel melting in the irradiated-fuel experiments and near the time of complete fuel melting in the fresh-fuel experiment. This early occurrence of fuel disruption is significant because it can potentially lower the work-energy release resulting from a prompt-burst disassembly accident.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Science Applications, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (USA); UKAEA Safety and Reliability Directorate, Culcheth
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 6426452
- Report Number(s):
- NUREG/CR-3662; SAND-81-0413; ON: TI85001309
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Visual investigation of reactor fuels response to simulated LOF heating conditions, first series. [LMFBR]
Analysis of in-pile fuel disruption experiments. [LMFBR]
Related Subjects
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
FUEL ELEMENT FAILURE
LIQUID FLOW
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
FUEL PINS
TEST FACILITIES
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
LOSS OF FLOW
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HYDRAULICS
PLUTONIUM DIOXIDE
REACTOR CORE DISRUPTION
REACTOR SAFETY
URANIUM DIOXIDE
ACCIDENTS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
BREEDER REACTORS
CHALCOGENIDES
DATA
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FLUID FLOW
FLUID MECHANICS
FUEL ELEMENTS
INFORMATION
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
MECHANICS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SAFETY
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM OXIDES
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
210500 - Power Reactors
Breeding