Behavior of CANDU fuel under power pulse conditions at the TRIGA reactor of INR Pitesti
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G. Horhoianu
Abstract
Pulse irradiation tests on short fuel elements have been carried out in TRIGA Annular Core Pulse Reactor (TRIGA ACPR) of INR Pitesti to investigate aspects related to the thermal and mechanical behavior of CANDU type fuel elements under short duration and large amplitude power pulse conditions. Short test fuel elements were instrumented with thermocouples for cladding surface temperature measurements and pressure sensors for element internal pressure measurement. Transient histories of reactor power, cooling water pressure, fuel element internal pressure and cladding temperature were recorded during tests. The fuel elements were subjected to total energy deposition from 70 to 280 cal g–1 UO2. Rapid fuel pellet expansion due to a power excursion caused radial and longitudinal deformation of the cladding. Cladding failure mechanism and the failure threshold have been established. This paper presents some recent results obtained from these power pulse tests performed in TRIGA ACPR of INR Pitesti.
Kurzfassung
Pulsbestrahlungstests an kurzen Brennelementen wurden am TRIGA ACPR Reaktor des INR Pitesti durchgeführt, um Fragestellungen im Zusammenhang mit dem thermischen und mechanischen Verhalten von Brennelementen vom CANDU-Typ beim Pulsbetrieb zu untersuchen. Kurze Testbrennelemente wurden mit Thermoelementen zur Messung der Oberflächentemperatur der Brennelementhüllen und mit Drucksensoren zur Messung des Innendrucks der Elemente bestückt. Das Transientenverhalten der Reaktorleistung, der Kühlwasserdruck, der Druck im Innern der Brennelemente und die Temperatur der Brennelementhüllen wurden während der Tests aufgezeichnet. Die Brennelemente wurden einer Gesamtenergiedeposition von 70 bis 280 cal g–1 UO2 ausgesetzt. Schnelle Ausdehnung der Pellets aufgrund einer Leistungsexkursion bewirkte eine radiale und eine longitudinale Verformung der Hüllen. Der Versagensmechanismus der Hülle und die Fehlerschwelle wurden bestimmt. Dieser Beitrag stellt einige neuere Ergebnisse der am TRIGA ACPR Reaktor des INR Pitesti durchgeführten Pulsbestrahlungstests vor.
References
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© 2009, Carl Hanser Verlag, München
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Articles in the same Issue
- Contents/Inhalt
- Contents
- Summaries/Kurzfassungen
- Summaries
- Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
- AVR prototype pebble bed reactor: a safety re-evaluation of its operation and consequences for future reactors
- Design Concept of the High Performance Light Water Reactor
- Behavior of CANDU fuel under power pulse conditions at the TRIGA reactor of INR Pitesti
- Plate heat exchanger – inertia flywheel performance in loss of flow transient
- Performance analyses of the communication networks of a modern supervision and control system of research reactors
- Thermal analytical model for MoO3 ampoules irradiated in a high neutron flux
- Effect of using various grades of plutonium in the protective liquid wall of an IFE type fusion reactor
- A discrete ordinates scheme for void fraction evaluation with nonstandard reflective conditions and weakly divergent beams
- Application of the Laplace transform method for the albedo boundary conditions in multigroup neutron diffusion eigenvalue problems in slab geometry
- Modified Chebyshev polynomial (UN) approximation in the neutron transport theory and computation of critical half thicknesses
- Optimizing the dynamic response of the H. B. Robinson nuclear plant using multiobjective particle swarm optimization
- Assessment for inside building dispersion of aerosol from an outdoor radiological release
- Technical Notes/Technische Mitteilungen
- Analysis of a steam generator tube rupture under realistic initial and boundary conditions
