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U.S. Department of Energy
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Recent results on the RIA test in IGR reactor

Conference ·
OSTI ID:468647
;  [1]
  1. Nuclear Safety Institute, Moscow (Russian Federation)
At the 23d WRSM meeting the data base characterizing results of VVER high burnup fuel rods tests under reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) conditions was presented. Comparison of PWR and VVER failure thresholds was given also. Additional analysis of the obtained results was being carried out during 1996. The results of analysis show that the two different failure mechanisms were observed for PWR and VVER fuel rods. Some factors which can be as the possible reasons of these differences are presented. First of them is the state of preirradiated cladding. Published test data for PWR high burnup fuel rods demonstrated that the PWR high burnup fuel rods failed at the RIA test are characterized by very high level of oxidation and hydriding for the claddings. Corresponding researches were performed at Institute of Atomic Reactors (RLAR, Dimitrovgrad, Russia) for large set of VVER high burnup fuel rods. Results of these investigations show that preirradiated commercial Zr-1%Nb claddings practically keep their initial levels of oxidation and H{sub 2} concentration. Consequently the VVER preirradiated cladding must keep the high level of mechanical properties. The second reason leading to differences between failure mechanisms for two types of high burnup fuel rods can be the test conditions. Now such kind of analysis have been performed by two methods.
Research Organization:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research; Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
OSTI ID:
468647
Report Number(s):
NUREG/CP--0157-Vol.1; CONF-9610202--Vol.1; ON: TI96014720
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English