Comparison of the effect of insulating blockages on metal and oxide fuel elements
The safety philosophy of the new liquid-metal reactor (LMR) plant designs is oriented toward inherent protection against loss of coolable geometry and other entries to core disruption. One potential entry is via propagation of local faults. The basic event in all local sequences is cladding failure, irrespective of initiator. A model of a complete insulating blockage, i.e., total loss of heat transfer from the cladding surface due to any cause, was developed for a range of insulated arcs. The internal properties represented either metal or oxide fuels, both irradiated to a condition that closed the fuel-clad gap. The advantage of the high conductivity of the metal fuel is clearly evident; the maximum cladding temperatures are considerably lower than for the oxide elements with the same circumferential blockage extent. Also, the minimum cladding temperature at the opposite side of the element is higher for the metal fuel, thus providing more uniform heat rejection from the unblocked portion of the cladding. The cladding temperatures at the edge of the blockages for the oxide elements are directly proportional to the blockage angle, indicating that the cladding is the main path for heat rejection.
- OSTI ID:
- 5655036
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-881011-; CODEN: TANSA; TRN: 89-029094
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA), Vol. 57; Conference: Joint meeting of the European Nuclear Society and the American Nuclear Society, Washington, DC (USA), 30 Oct - 4 Nov 1988; ISSN 0003-018X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
FUEL ELEMENT FAILURE
FLOW BLOCKAGE
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
REACTOR SAFETY
DEFORMATION
DESIGN
EUTECTICS
FLUID FLOW
HEAT TRANSFER
PROBABILITY
REACTOR CORE DISRUPTION
REACTOR CORES
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
ACCIDENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SAFETY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
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