Effects of burnup on fission product release and implications for severe fuel damage events

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6894626

Appelhans, A D; Cronenberg, A W; Carboneau, M L

Xe, Kr, and I fission-product release data from (a) Halden tests where release in intact rods was measured during irradiation at burnups to 18,000 MWd/t and fuel temperatures of 800 to 1800/sup 0/K, and (b) Power Burst Facility (PBF) tests where trace-irradiated fuel (approx. = 90 MWd/t) was driven to temperatures of >2400/sup 0/K and fuel liquefaction occurred are discussed and related to fuel morphology. Results from both indicate that the fission-product morphology and fuel restructuring govern release behavior. The Halden tests show low release at beginning of life with a 10-fold increase at burnups in excess of 10,000 MWd/t, due to the development of grain boundary interlinkage at higher burnups. Such dependence of release on morphology characteristics is consistent with findings from the PBF tests, where for trace-irradiated fuel, the absence of interlinkage accounts for the low release rates observed during initial fuel heatup, with subsequent enhanced Xe, Kr, and I release via liquefaction or quench-induced destruction of the grain structure. Morphology is also shown to influence the chemical release form of I and Cs fission products.

• Research Organization: EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-76ID01570
• OSTI ID: 6894626
• Report Number(s): EGG-M-12784; CONF-840701-20; ON: DE84016107
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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