Metallographic examinations and hydrogen measurements of high-burnup spent nuclear fuel cladding

Ayanoglu, Muhammet; Montgomery, Rose A.; Harp, Jason; Sasikumar, Yadukrishnan

doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154833

Metallographic examinations and hydrogen measurements of high-burnup spent nuclear fuel cladding

Journal Article · Wed Nov 22 23:00:00 EST 2023 · Journal of Nuclear Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154833· OSTI ID:2333847

Ayanoglu, Muhammet ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

In the US, commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is transferred to interim dry storage casks where it will be stored for decades awaiting transport to a consolidated interim storage facility or a geologic repository. Because the fuel rod cladding is the first barrier against any radioactive material release, understanding the behavior of SNF cladding, particularly at high burnup (HBU), in dry storage conditions is crucial to safely store and transport the spent fuel. In this study, a series of metallographic examinations and cladding hydrogen measurements were conducted on HBU SNF cladding at Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a part of the High Burnup Spent Fuel Data Project, which is sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). Here, t o investigate the effect of simulated drying conditions on the cladding, three as-received fuel rods with different cladding materials—M5, ZIRLO, and Zircaloy-4—were heated to 400°C and then slow-cooled to room temperature. The pellet and cladding were then qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed and compared in terms of pellet crack morphology, HBU rim, waterside oxide, cladding H, and cladding hydride morphologies. This paper presents and discusses the results of these analyses in detail.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition. Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Science and Technology

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 2333847

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2369183

Journal Information:: Journal of Nuclear Materials, Journal Name: Journal of Nuclear Materials Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 589; ISSN 0022-3115

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Metallographic examinations and hydrogen measurements of high-burnup spent nuclear fuel cladding

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