Metallographic examination of the severe fuel damage scoping test (SFD-ST) fuel rod bundle cross sections

Technical Report · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:7118986

Hofmann, P

A series of severe fuel damage (SFD) tests was performed in the Power Burst Facility (PBF) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) to obtain data necessary to understand: (1) fission product release, deposition, and transport; (2) hydrogen release; and (3) fuel behavior and coolability during severe fuel damage accidents. This report presents the results from the metallographic posttest examination of the fuel rod bundle cross sections of the first experiment in the SFD series, the Scoping Test (SFD-ST). The metallographic appearance of the zircaloy cladding, solidified melt, UO/sub 2/ fuel, Inconel spacer grids, and other instrumentation and structural components is discussed. The observed structures are compared to those documented in well defined, out-of-pile, separate-effects reference experiments. The chemical interactions that take place at high temperatures between the fuel bundle components are described; and estimates of peak test temperatures are made, based only on metallography since scanning electron microscopy results were not available.

• Research Organization: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (USA). Div. of Reactor Accident Analysis; EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-76ID01570
• OSTI ID: 7118986
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CR-5119; EGG-2537; ON: TI88015248
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220300* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Fuel Elements
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ALLOYS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CROSS SECTIONS
DAMAGE
ENERGY SOURCES
FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL RODS
FUELS
INCONEL ALLOYS
MATERIALS
METALLOGRAPHY
NICKEL ALLOYS
NICKEL BASE ALLOYS
NUCLEAR FUELS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
ROD BUNDLES
TIN ALLOYS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM OXIDES
ZIRCALOY
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM BASE ALLOYS