Integral Experiments Data, Databases, Benchmarks and Safety Joint Projects
NEA-1556 IFPE/OVER-RAMP.
last modified: 02-MAR-2006 | catalog | new | search |

NEA-1556 IFPE/OVER-RAMP.

IFPE/OVER-RAMP, Pellet Clad Interaction Failure Analysis, Power Ramps

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1. NAME OF EXPERIMENT

IFPE/OVER-RAMP

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2. COMPUTERS

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Program name Package id Status Status date
IFPE/OVER-RAMP NEA-1556/02 Arrived 02-MAR-2006

Machines used:

Package ID Orig. computer Test computer
NEA-1556/02 Many Computers
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3. DESCRIPTION

The OVER-RAMP Project investigated the failure popensity of typical PWR fuel in the form of test rods when subjected to fast power ramps.

Thirty nine rods, of two different origins and designs, forming nine groups of rods in regard to variations in design and material parameters, were base irradiated in a power reactor environment(the Kernkraftwerk Obrigheim and the Mol reactor BR-3) at heat rates in the range of 14 to 25 kW/m to burnups in the range of 12 to 31 MWd/kg U and subsequently ramp tested in the research reactor R2 at Studsvik, Sweden.

The rods underwent a thorough examination program, comprising characterization prior to the base irradiation, examinations interim to base and ramp irradiations and examinations after the ramp irradiation.

The principal objective of the OVER-RAMP Project was to make a substantial contribution to the understanding of the pellet-clad interaction (PCI) for commercial type PWR reactor fuel under power ramp conditions so as to acquire greater ability to assess its potential limitations.

The main technical objectives of the OVER-RAMP Technical Program were the following:

  • Establish through experiments the power ramp fuel failure threshold as a function of fuel burn-up.

  • Determine the influence on the failure threshold of various design and material parameters.

  • Determine the influence on the failure threshold of various ramp parameters (for fuel rods with identical sets of design parameters).

  • Identify fuel failure modes and mechanisms, as well as characteristic stages of fuel failure.

  • Provide data for PCI failure analysis and for predictive fuel modelling by recording changes in rod profiles, dimensions, structures, properties, etc.

Five rods were ramp tested with ramp rates lower than about 100 W/cm x min. The influence of the lower ramp rates was not conclusive.

 

In order to meet these objectives, much effort went into recording the power history in detail, and to determine the fuel rod changes based on a thorough pre-irradiation characterization, non-destructive examinations before and after the power ramping, and selected destructive examinations of rods following the power ramping irradiation.

The program power ramped 39 individual test fuel rods of 2 different origins and designs.

24 of the rods were of KWU/CE design and were provided by KWU. They were delivered to the Project following base-irradiation in a power reactor environment (Kernkraftwerk Obrigheim, FR Germany).

15 of the rods were of Westinghouse design and were delivered by W after irradiation in the BR-3 reactor at Mol, Belgium. The burn-up levels ranged from 12 to 31 MWd/kgU achieved at heat ratings of 14-25 kW/m (average over time, at axial peak position).

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9. STATUS
Package ID Status date Status
NEA-1556/02 02-MAR-2006 Masterfiled restricted
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10. REFERENCES
NEA-1556/02, included references:
- The OVER-RAMP Project - Final Report Studsvik-STOR-37
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12. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE(S) USED
No specified programming language
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15. AUTHORS

Studsvik Scandpower AB

SE-611 82 NYKOEPING

Sweden

 

Compilation: J.A. Turnbull

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16. MATERIAL AVAILABLE
NEA-1556/02
*.KWU       Irradiation histories for the 24 rods
PIE.KWU     Most important destructive and non-destructive PIE measurements
PRECHAR.KWU Pre-characterization data for the 24 KWU/CE fuel rods
*.W        Irradiation histories for the 15 rods
PIE.W      Destructive and non-destructive PIE measurements (Westinghouse rods)
PRECHAR.W  Pre-characterization data for the 15 Westinghouse rods
QA report Over-Ramp.pdf
README.OVR
SUMMARY.OVR Overview of the project
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17. CATEGORIES
  • Y. Integral Experiments Data, Databases, Benchmarks

Keywords: experimental data, fuel elements, fuel rods, fuel-cladding interaction.