Resumption of water capsule reactivity-initiated accident testing at TREAT

Folsom, Charles P.; Schulthess, Jason L.; Kamerman, David W.; Hansen, Robert S.; Woolstenhulme, Nicolas E.; Jensen, Colby B.; Astle, Leigh A.; Giraldo, Luis Ocampo; Fleming, Austin; Wachs, Daniel M.

doi:10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112509

Resumption of water capsule reactivity-initiated accident testing at TREAT

Journal Article · Fri Aug 04 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Nuclear Engineering and Design

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112509· OSTI ID:1995995

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Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

A series of integral reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) commissioning experiments were completed in a new static water capsule in the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT), marking the first such tests in the U.S. in more than 40 years. The test campaign included a verification test followed by five tests in the Static Environment Rodlet Transient Test Apparatus (SERTTA) capsule. The capsule initial conditions varied from room temperature and pressure up to 200°C and 2.5 MPa, with energy depositions varying between ~500–1100 J/gUO₂. The series of tests allowed for a number of instrumentation qualifications and demonstrations, including cladding thermometry, rodlet plenum pressure, cladding elongation, and an electro-impedance boiling detector. Post transient examinations such as gamma emission spectroscopy, profilometry, and microscopy were performed to document the end state of the fuel rods. Furthermore, the results from the experiments show that the fuel rodlets behaved very similar to historical tests under similar energy depositions. This paper documents the design of the capsule and highlights some results from the commissioning tests and post-transient examination.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE); USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain. Advanced Fuel Campaign

Grant/Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517

OSTI ID:: 1995995

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU-23-72587-Rev000

Journal Information:: Nuclear Engineering and Design, Journal Name: Nuclear Engineering and Design Vol. 413; ISSN 0029-5493

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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