Evaluation of Missing Pellet Surface Geometry on Cladding Stress Distribution and Magnitude

Conference · Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2016.04.039· OSTI ID:1236339

Capps, Nathan A.; Montgomery, Robert O.; Sunderland, Dion J.; Spencer, Ben; Pytel, Martin; Wirth, Brian D.

Missing pellet surface (MPS) defects are local geometric defects that periodically occur in nuclear fuel pellets, usually as a result of the mishandling during the manufacturing process. The presences of these defects can lead to clad stress concentrations that are substantial enough to cause a through wall failure for certain conditions of power level, burnup, and power increase. Consequently, the impact of potential MPS defects has limited the rate of power increase or ramp rates in both PWR and BWR systems. Improved 3D MPS models that consider the effect of the MPS geometry can provide better understanding of the margins against PCMI clad failure. The Peregrine fuel performance code has been developed as a part the Consortium of Advanced Simulations of Light Water Reactors (CASL) to consider the inherently multi-physics and multi-dimensional mechanisms that control fuel behavior, including cladding failure by the presence of MPS defects. This paper presents an evaluation of the cladding stress concentrations as a function of MPS defect geometry. The results are the first step in a probabilistic approach to assess cladding failure during power maneuvers. This analysis provides insight into how varying pellet defect geometries affect the distribution of the cladding stress and fuel and cladding temperature and will be used to develop stress concentration factors for 2D and 3D models.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1236339
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-104246; 830403000
• Resource Relation: Journal Volume: 305; Conference: Water Reactor Fuel Performance Meeting/Top Fuel/LWR Fuel Performance Meeting (WRFPM 2014), September 14-17, 2014, Sendai, Japan, Paper No. 100109
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English