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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Multirod burst test program quarterly progress report, July--September 1976. [BWR; PWR]

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7311013

Progress is reported in studies to delineate the deformation behavior of unirradiated Zircaloy cladding under conditions postulated for the LWR loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) and to provide a data base to facilitate assessment of the magnitude and distribution of geometrical changes in the fuel rod cladding in a multirod array and of the extent of flow channel blockage that might result. Data are obtained from single- and multirod experiments that include possible effects of rod-to-rod interactions on ballooning and rupture behavior. Internally pressurized, unirradiated Zircaloy tubes containing tubular electrically heated fuel simulators (to simulate nuclear fuel pellet heating) are tested to failure in a low-pressure, superheated-steam environment. In addition to measurements of cladding surface temperature and internal pressure during the transient tests, data will be obtained on pre- and posttest flow resistance (for the multirod arrays) and on deformation, rupture strain, and channel blockage (as measured by sectioning of tubes and tube bundles). An initial series of tests, identified by the PS prefix, was conducted to develop and perfect test procedures, to evaluate and improve fuel pin simulator and test equipment performance, and to serve as scoping tests for guidance in the subsequent tests with simulators that include all the desired design features.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
OSTI ID:
7311013
Report Number(s):
ORNL/NUREG/TM-77
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English