Evaluation of volatile and gaseous fission product behavior in water reactor fuel under normal and severe core accident conditions

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5563429

Rest, J

As the noble gases play a major role in establishing the interconnection of escape routes from the interior to the exterior of nuclear reactor fuel, a realistic description of the release of volatile fission products (VFPs) must a priori include a realistic description of fission gas release and swelling. In addition, as the VFPs are, in general, quite soluble in the fuel matrix and are known to react with other elements to form compounds, a realistic description of VFP release must include the effects of VFP chemistry on VFP behavior. The steady-state and transient gas release and swelling subroutine, FASTGRASS, has been modified to include a mechanistic description of the behavior of VFPs (iodine, cesium, CsI, Cs/sub 2/MoO/sub 4/, and Cs/sub 2/ UO/sub 4/). Phenomena modeled are the chemical reactions between the VFPs, VFP migration through the fuel, and VFP interaction with the noble gases. Calculations were performed with FASTGRASS to describe the release of noble gases, iodine, cesium, and CsI from light water reactor fuel during steady-state and powerramping conditions. Key issues that are addressed in the analysis are the effects of (a) VFP chemistry, (b) various assumptions concerning mechanisms of VFP migration through solid UO/sub 2/, (c) fission gas behavior, and (d) an accident scenario on the chemical form of the released iodine and the rate of iodine release from water reactor fuel.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory, Materials Science Division, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439
• OSTI ID: 5563429
• Journal Information: Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 61:1; ISSN NUTYB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220100 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Theory & Calculation
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ACCIDENTS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALI METALS
CESIUM
CESIUM COMPOUNDS
CESIUM IODIDES
CESIUM URANATES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
COMPUTER CALCULATIONS
COMPUTER CODES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
F CODES
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
FLUIDS
FUELS
GASES
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HALOGENS
INORGANIC PHOSPHORS
IODIDES
IODINE
IODINE COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
MATERIALS
MATTER
METALS
MOLYBDATES
MOLYBDENUM COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORS
RARE GASES
REACTION KINETICS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR CORE DISRUPTION
REACTOR MATERIALS
SWELLING
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
URANATES
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM OXIDES
VOLATILE MATTER