Assessment of the analysis capability for core-wide PWR pellet-clad interaction screening of Watts Bar Unit 1

Journal Article · Tue Apr 24 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Nuclear Engineering and Design

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2018.04.018· OSTI ID:1435340

Capps, Nathan A. ^[1]; Stimpson, Shane G. ^[2]; Clarno, Kevin T. ^[2]; Wirth, Brian D. ^[3]; Rashid, Joe ^[1]

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1. Structural Integrity, San Diego, CA (United States)
2. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
3. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

This report illustrates the application of the Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications simulation environment to pressurized water reactor core-wide pellet-clad interaction screening, with emphasis on the multi-dimensional analysis capabilities of the BISON fuel performance code. The Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications codes utilized in this effort include the BISON fuel performance code and the VERA-CS sub-element, which combines the MPACT neutron transport code and the COBRA-TF thermal-hydraulics code. The target reactor for this work is Watts Bar Unit 1, cycle 6 and cycle 7, selected on the basis that pellet-clad interaction failures had occurred during power start up in both cycles, despite the moderate power levels. These instances of failure at Watts Bar Unit 1 offered an interesting test of the code’s veracity and a particularly challenging condition for this assessment.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1435340
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1548457; OSTI ID: 22836867
• Journal Information: Nuclear Engineering and Design, Journal Name: Nuclear Engineering and Design Journal Issue: C Vol. 333; ISSN 0029-5493
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
CASL
missing pellet surface
pellet-cladding mechanical interaction
stress corrosion cracking