Mechanistic Considerations Used in the Development of the PROFIT PCI Failure Model
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
A fuel Pellet-Zircaloy Cladding (thermo-mechanical-chemical) Interactions (PCI) failure model for estimating the probability of failure in transient increases in power (PROFIT) was developed. PROFIT is based on 1) standard statistical methods applied to available PCI fuel failure data and 2) a mechanistic analysis of the environmental and strain-rate-dependent stress versus strain characteristics of Zircaloy cladding. The statistical analysis of fuel failures attributable to PCI suggested that parameters in addition to power, transient increase in power, and burnup are needed to define PCI fuel failures in terms of probability estimates with known confidence limits. The PROFIT model, therefore, introduces an environmental and strain-rate dependent strain energy absorption to failure (SEAF) concept to account for the stress versus strain anomalies attributable to interstitial-disloction interaction effects in the Zircaloy cladding. Assuming that the power ramping rate is the operating corollary of strain-rate in the Zircaloy cladding, then the variables of first order importance in the PCI fuel failure phenomenon are postulated to be: 1. pre-transient fuel rod power, PI, 2. transient increase in fuel rod power, ΔP, 3. fuel burnup, Bu, and 4. the constitutive material property of the Zircaloy cladding, SEAF.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1077982
- Report Number(s):
- PNL--3386; NUREG/CR-1462
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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