Abstract
Instrumented experiments have been carried out in recent years to calibrate and improve temperature calculations at high burnup in PWR nuclear fuel rods. The introduction of a thermocouple in the fuel stack allows the experiment to record the centre-line temperature all along the irradiation or re-irradiation. The results obtained on fresh fuel have not revealed any abnormal behavior as have observations done on high burnup rods. In this case, a sudden overshoot has been recorded on the thermocouple temperature above an average power threshold. Several hypotheses have been suggested. Only two seem to be acceptable: one in relation to an effect of grain decohesion, another based on a modification of fuel chemistry. The apparent reversibility of the phenomena when power decreases led us to prefer the first explanation. Indeed, the introduction of a thermocouple means that annular fuel pellets must be used. These are either initially manufactured with a central hole or drilled after base irradiation, using the ``RISOE`` technique. One must bear in mind that the use of such annular pellets drastically changes the crack pattern as irradiation proceeds. This is due to a different stress field which, combined with a weakening of the grain binding energy, leads to
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Baron, D;
[1]
Couty, J C
[2]
- Electricite de France, Moret-sur-Loing (France)
- Electricite de France (EDF), 69 - Villeurbanne (France)
Citation Formats
Baron, D, and Couty, J C.
A simulation of the temperature overshoot observed at high burnup in annular fuel pellets.
IAEA: N. p.,
1997.
Web.
Baron, D, & Couty, J C.
A simulation of the temperature overshoot observed at high burnup in annular fuel pellets.
IAEA.
Baron, D, and Couty, J C.
1997.
"A simulation of the temperature overshoot observed at high burnup in annular fuel pellets."
IAEA.
@misc{etde_568485,
title = {A simulation of the temperature overshoot observed at high burnup in annular fuel pellets}
author = {Baron, D, and Couty, J C}
abstractNote = {Instrumented experiments have been carried out in recent years to calibrate and improve temperature calculations at high burnup in PWR nuclear fuel rods. The introduction of a thermocouple in the fuel stack allows the experiment to record the centre-line temperature all along the irradiation or re-irradiation. The results obtained on fresh fuel have not revealed any abnormal behavior as have observations done on high burnup rods. In this case, a sudden overshoot has been recorded on the thermocouple temperature above an average power threshold. Several hypotheses have been suggested. Only two seem to be acceptable: one in relation to an effect of grain decohesion, another based on a modification of fuel chemistry. The apparent reversibility of the phenomena when power decreases led us to prefer the first explanation. Indeed, the introduction of a thermocouple means that annular fuel pellets must be used. These are either initially manufactured with a central hole or drilled after base irradiation, using the ``RISOE`` technique. One must bear in mind that the use of such annular pellets drastically changes the crack pattern as irradiation proceeds. This is due to a different stress field which, combined with a weakening of the grain binding energy, leads to a partial grain decohesion on the inner face of the annular pellet. Modification of the grain binding energy is related to the presence of an increasing local population of gas bubbles and metallic precipitates at grain boundaries, as swelling creates intergranular local stresses which also could probably enhance the grain decohesion process. This grain decohesion concerns a 250 to 350 {mu}m depth and shows a narrow cracks network through which released fission gas can flow, temporarily pushing the resident helium gas out. The low conductivity of these gaseous fission products and the numerous gas layers created this way could partly explain the unexpected temperatures measured in high burnup fuels. (Abstract Truncated)}
place = {IAEA}
year = {1997}
month = {Aug}
}
title = {A simulation of the temperature overshoot observed at high burnup in annular fuel pellets}
author = {Baron, D, and Couty, J C}
abstractNote = {Instrumented experiments have been carried out in recent years to calibrate and improve temperature calculations at high burnup in PWR nuclear fuel rods. The introduction of a thermocouple in the fuel stack allows the experiment to record the centre-line temperature all along the irradiation or re-irradiation. The results obtained on fresh fuel have not revealed any abnormal behavior as have observations done on high burnup rods. In this case, a sudden overshoot has been recorded on the thermocouple temperature above an average power threshold. Several hypotheses have been suggested. Only two seem to be acceptable: one in relation to an effect of grain decohesion, another based on a modification of fuel chemistry. The apparent reversibility of the phenomena when power decreases led us to prefer the first explanation. Indeed, the introduction of a thermocouple means that annular fuel pellets must be used. These are either initially manufactured with a central hole or drilled after base irradiation, using the ``RISOE`` technique. One must bear in mind that the use of such annular pellets drastically changes the crack pattern as irradiation proceeds. This is due to a different stress field which, combined with a weakening of the grain binding energy, leads to a partial grain decohesion on the inner face of the annular pellet. Modification of the grain binding energy is related to the presence of an increasing local population of gas bubbles and metallic precipitates at grain boundaries, as swelling creates intergranular local stresses which also could probably enhance the grain decohesion process. This grain decohesion concerns a 250 to 350 {mu}m depth and shows a narrow cracks network through which released fission gas can flow, temporarily pushing the resident helium gas out. The low conductivity of these gaseous fission products and the numerous gas layers created this way could partly explain the unexpected temperatures measured in high burnup fuels. (Abstract Truncated)}
place = {IAEA}
year = {1997}
month = {Aug}
}