Degradation and Failure Phenomena of Accident Tolerant Fuel Concepts: FeCrAl Alloy Cladding

Technical Report · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1984686· OSTI ID:1984686

Goodson, Christine E. ^[1]; Geelhood, Kenneth J. ^[1]

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1. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is anticipating licensing applications and commercial use of accident tolerant fuel (ATF) in United States commercial nuclear power reactors. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is providing technical assistance to the NRC related to the newly proposed nuclear fuel and cladding designs. This report focuses specifically on the iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl) alloys being investigated to replace zirconium-based alloys for fuel cladding and provides current state-of-the-industry information on material properties and fuel performance considerations under reactor operating conditions and design basis accident conditions. Currently, Global Nuclear Fuels (GNF) is the only U.S.-based fuel vendor considering FeCrAl cladding as a near-term ATF design. GNF has tested several different FeCrAl alloys including Kanthal APMT, C26M, and MA956; fueled C26M rods and unfueled Kanthal APMT, C26M, and MA956 rods have been inserted in lead test assemblies at Plants Hatch and Clinton. This report will focus on those three alloys specifically, with broader information given regarding in-reactor and ex-reactor testing of FeCrAl alloys. To support the NRC’s readiness efforts, this report will identify and discuss degradation and failure modes of FeCrAl cladding concepts, including fuel performance characteristics that may not be addressed within existing regulatory documents.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1984686
• Report Number(s): PNNL--30445
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS