Pellet-cladding interaction of LMFBR fuel elements at unsteady state. [ISUNE-5 code]

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981 · J. Eng. Power; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3230785· OSTI ID:5686765

Ma, B M

The fuel pellet-cladding interaction (PCI) of liquid-metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) fuel elements or fuel rods at unsteady state is analyzed based on experimental results. The heat generation, fuel restructuring, temperature distribution, gap conductance, irradiation swelling, irradiation creep, fuel burnup, fission gas release, fuel pellet cracking, crack healing, cladding cracking, yield failure and fracture failure of the fuel elements are taken into consideration. To improve the sintered (U,Pu)O/sub 2/ fuel performance and reactor core safety at high temperature and fuel burnup, it is desirable to (a) increase and maintain the ductility of cladding material, (b) provide sufficient gap thickness and plenum space for accommodating fission gas release, (c) keep ramps-power increase rate slow and gentle, and (d) reduce the intensity and frequency of transient PCI in order to avoid intense stress fatigue cracking (SFC) and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) due to fission product compounds CsI, CdI/sub 2/, Cs/sub 2/Te, etc. at the inner cladding surface of the fuel elements during PCI. 10 refs.

• Research Organization: Iowa State Univ, Ames, USA
• OSTI ID: 5686765
• Journal Information: J. Eng. Power; (United States), Journal Name: J. Eng. Power; (United States) Vol. 103:4; ISSN JEPOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500* -- Power Reactors
Breeding
BREEDER REACTORS
BURNUP
COMPUTER CODES
CRACKS
CREEP
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL-CLADDING INTERACTIONS
I CODES
IRRADIATION
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SWELLING
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION