Evaluation of the thermal-hydraulic and fuel rod thermal and mechanical deformation behavior during the first Power Burst Facility nuclear blowdown tests

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979 · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5944329

MacDonald, P E; Broughton, J M; Spore, J W

A preliminary evaluation was made of the results from the LOC-11 nuclar blowdown tests conducted in the Power Burst Facility. The objective of the LOC-11 tests was to measure the thermal and mechanical deformation behavior of pressurized and unpressurized fuel rods exposed to a blowdown (coolant depressurization) similar to that expected in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) during a hypothesized double-ended cold-leg break. Incipient fuel rod cladding collapse and swelling occurred during Test LOC-11C, when the two unpressurized and two pressurized PWR-type rods were exposed to a system blowdown with measured cladding temperatures increasing to 1030 K. To better understand the test results and to evaluate prediction capability, RELAP4-calculated coolant thermal-hydraulic and fuel rod thermal behavior and FRAP-T4-calculated fuel rod mechanical deformation behavior were compared with the test LOC-11C data. The RELAP4 posttest calculations of coolant behavior generally agreed well with the measured coolant behavior; however, the calculated cladding surface temperatures were approx. 50 K greater than measured. The FRAP-T4 calculations of cladding deformation using best-estimate models slightly overpredicted the observed ballooning of the pressurized rods and underpredicted the collapse of the unpressurized rods.

• Research Organization: EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls
• OSTI ID: 5944329
• Journal Information: Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 44:3; ISSN NUTYB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ACCIDENTS
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