Modelling of LOCA Tests with the BISON Fuel Performance Code

Conference · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 2016

OSTI ID:1348111

Williamson, Richard L ^[1]; Pastore, Giovanni ^[1]; Novascone, Stephen Rhead ^[1]; Spencer, Benjamin Whiting ^[1]; Hales, Jason Dean ^[1]

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1. Idaho National Laboratory

BISON is a modern finite-element based, multidimensional nuclear fuel performance code that is under development at Idaho National Laboratory (USA). Recent advances of BISON include the extension of the code to the analysis of LWR fuel rod behaviour during loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs). In this work, BISON models for the phenomena relevant to LWR cladding behaviour during LOCAs are described, followed by presentation of code results for the simulation of LOCA tests. Analysed experiments include separate effects tests of cladding ballooning and burst, as well as the Halden IFA-650.2 fuel rod test. Two-dimensional modelling of the experiments is performed, and calculations are compared to available experimental data. Comparisons include cladding burst pressure and temperature in separate effects tests, as well as the evolution of fuel rod inner pressure during ballooning and time to cladding burst. Furthermore, BISON three-dimensional simulations of separate effects tests are performed, which demonstrate the capability to reproduce the effect of azimuthal temperature variations in the cladding. The work has been carried out in the frame of the collaboration between Idaho National Laboratory and Halden Reactor Project, and the IAEA Coordinated Research Project FUMAC.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1348111
• Report Number(s): INL/CON-16-37798
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BISON code
LOCA analysis