Light Water Breeder Reactor fuel element performance characteristics for extending core lifetime: (LWBR Development Program)

Technical Report · Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5779222· OSTI ID:5779222

Smith, B. C.; Campbell, W. R.

The Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) was designed for a lifetime of 18,000 EFPH. Fuel element design was based on performance evaluations demonstrating adequacy for the design lifetime. Continued operation of LWBR beyond design lifetime required re-evaluation of fuel element behavior to determine if continued satisfactory fuel performance could be achieved. The evaluations covered the most limiting fuel performance concerns for extended lifetime: Zircaloy cladding corrosion, hydriding, flow-induced vibratory wear, cladding deformation into unsupported axial gaps, pellet-cladding interaction (PCI) during controlled and accidental power increases, rod elongation, and rod-to-rod clearance reduction due to rod bowing. Results of the evaluations are described. Based on these results, limits on reactor operating power, pressure, and temperature during extended lifetime were defined to allow LWBR to achieve over 29,000 EFPH of satisfactory operation.

• Research Organization: Bettis Atomic Power Lab., West Mifflin, PA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC11-76PN00014
• OSTI ID: 5779222
• Report Number(s): WAPD-TM-1603; ON: DE88003448
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500* -- Power Reactors
Breeding
BREEDER REACTORS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CORROSION
DATA
DEFORMATION
DESIGN
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
HYDRIDATION
HYDROGEN
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
LIFETIME
LWBR TYPE REACTORS
MATERIALS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR OPERATION
REACTORS
STATISTICAL DATA
STRESS CORROSION
THERMAL REACTORS
TRANSIENTS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
WEAR