Fission gas induced fuel swelling in low and medium burnup fuel during high temperature transients. [PWR]

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5493761

Vinjamuri, K.

The behavior of light water reactor fuel elements under postulated accident conditions is being studied by the EG and G Idaho, Inc., Thermal Fuels Behavior Program for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. As a part of this program, unirradiated and previously irradiated, pressurized-water-reactor type fuel rods were tested under power-cooling-mismatch (PCM) conditions in the Power Burst Facility (PBF). During these integral in-reactor experiments, film boiling was produced on the fuel rods which created high fuel and cladding temperatures. Fuel rod diameters increased in the film boiling region to a greater extent for irradiated rods than for unirradiated rods. The purpose of the study was to investigate and assess the fuel swelling which caused the fuel rod diameter increases and to evaluate the ability of an analytical code, the Gas Release and Swelling Subroutine - Steady-State and Transient (GRASS-SST), to predict the results.

• Research Organization: EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-07-1570
• OSTI ID: 5493761
• Report Number(s): CONF-800607--11
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ACCIDENTS
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FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
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POWER-COOLING-MISMATCH ACCIDENTS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR SAFETY
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STRESSES
SWELLING
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
THERMAL STRESSES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS