First overpower tests of metallic IFR [Integral Fast Reactor] fuel in TREAT [Transient Reactor Test Facility]: Data and analysis from tests M5, M6, and M7

Technical Report · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/714655· OSTI ID:714655

Bauer, T. H.; Robinson, W. R.; Holland, J. W.; Rhodes, E. A.; Wright, A. E.

Results and analyses of margin to cladding failure and pre-failure axial expansion of metallic fuel are reported for TREAT in-pile transient overpower tests M5--M7. These are the first such tests on reference binary and ternary alloy fuel of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) concept with burnup ranging from 1 to 10 at. %. In all cases, test fuel was subjected to an exponential power rise on an 8 s period until either incipient or actual cladding failure was achieved. Objectives, designs and methods are described with emphasis on developments unique to metal fuel safety testing. The resulting database for cladding failure threshold and prefailure fuel expansion is presented. The nature of the observed cladding failure and resultant fuel dispersals is described. Simple models of cladding failures and pre-failure axial expansions are described and compared with experimental results. Reported results include: temperature, flow, and pressure data from test instrumentation; fuel motion diagnostic data principally from the fast neutron hodoscope; and test remains described from both destructive and non-destructive post-test examination. 24 refs., 144 figs., 17 tabs.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 714655
• Report Number(s): ANL-IFR--124; ON: TI90020496
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
BURNUP
CALIBRATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS
FISSION PRODUCTS
FLOW RATE
FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDRAULICS
IFR REACTOR
MEASURING METHODS
MELTING
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PRESSURE EFFECTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR INSTRUMENTATION
REACTOR SAFETY
TRANSIENTS
TREAT REACTOR