Transient-overpower test E8 on FFTF-type low-power-irradiated fuel
Test E8 simulated a hypothetical $3/s transient overpower accident in an LMFBR using seven (Pu, U)O/sub 2/ fuel elements of the FTR type. The test elements were preirradiated in the PNL-10 assembly in EBR-II to 5 at. % burnup at 30 kW/m. The preirradiation in EBR-II caused a fuel-restructuring range characteristic of a low-to-moderate power microstructure for FTR. Failure predictions indicated that fuel with this microstructural characteristic would fail at a lower energy deposition than fuel irradiated at higher power. Data from test-vehicle sensors, hodoscope, and postmortem examinations were used to construct the sequence of events occurring within the test zone. The sequence occurred incoherently across the test cluster, the initial event occurring abruptly at about 29 times nominal power level at an estimated stored energy of about 925 kJ/kg with 50% of the fuel above the solidus at the suspected failure site. After the initial failure, about 2% of the total mass of test fuel was ejected above the original top of the active fuel column. Sodium voiding occurred rapidly. A fuel-debris blockage also apparently prevented further fuel dispersal. Inherent test-vehicle limitations, loss of flow-tube geometry, and nontypical power generation after failure may have caused a departure from the fuel motion predicted for FTR conditions. No violent fuel-coolant interaction or associated work-energy conversion to the coolant was observed.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., Ill. (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 6767573
- Report Number(s):
- ANL-77-93
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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EXCURSIONS
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FAST REACTORS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
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