Oxidation effects in breached spent fuel rods
A number of the more significant findings, since the Toronto meeting in the study of fuel oxidation of breached PWR rods are noted. These include: (1) Bare fuel spallation and cladding-cracking propagation in breached PWR rod segments with low burnups start earlier than in their counterparts with higher burnup. This implies that the fuel rod performance in dry storage is dependent on the axial position of the cladding breach. (2) Both the size and shape of the defect appear to influence the time-to-cladding splitting. Above 280/sup 0/C the availability of O/sub 2/ due to defect size dominates. Below 250/sup 0/C the sharper defects propagate first because of the high stress intensity at the crack tip. (3) The temperature at which inert cover gas monitoring can stop is <230/sup 0/C for 27 GWd/MTU PWR fuel. The CDF calculations appear to be much more sensitive to the temperature profiles than the oxidation rates. 8 refs.
- Research Organization:
- Hanford Engineering Development Lab., Richland, WA (USA); Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76FF02170
- OSTI ID:
- 6826211
- Report Number(s):
- HEDL-SA-3505-FP; CONF-860417-14; ON: DE87005471
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CLADDING
CORROSION
COVER GAS
CRACK PROPAGATION
DEPOSITION
FLUIDS
FUEL ELEMENTS
GASES
INERT ATMOSPHERE
KINETICS
OXIDATION
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTION KINETICS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SPENT FUEL ELEMENTS
STRESS CORROSION
SURFACE COATING
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TIME DEPENDENCE
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS