Preliminary Multirod Burst Test Program results and implications of interest to reactor safety evaluations

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6147077

Chapman, R. H. ^[1]

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1. comp.

The Multirod Burst Test (MRBT) Program, in progress at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is investigating LWR cladding deformation in single- and multirod test arrays under conditions representative of reflood and refill phases of a LOCA. In these tests internally pressurized, unirradiated Zircaloy-4 tubes containing electrically heated fuel simulators are tested to failure in a low-pressure, superheated-steam environment. The tubes are ''uniformly'' heated over a 915-mm length; the simulator pressure, due to the small enclosed gas volume, also varies with temperature (and deformation) during the test. Two 4 x 4 multirod tests (B-1 and B-2), one with and one without the shroud being heated, have been conducted with a bundle heating rate of approx. 29/sup 0/C/sec; initial pressure conditions for these tests were selected to cause failure at about 860/sup 0/C. An additional 4 x 4 array (B-3) was tested using a bundle heating rate of approx. 10/sup 0/C/sec; the shroud was also heated in this test. Initial conditions were adjusted to cause failure at approx. 760/sup 0/C. Posttest examination (including flow tests) of the B-1 and B-2 test arrays, is essentially complete, and pertinent data are included in this summary.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 6147077
• Report Number(s): CONF-781146-4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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