Integral Experiments Data, Databases, Benchmarks and Safety Joint Projects
NEA-1807 IFPE/DEFEX-II DEMO.
last modified: 14-APR-2008 | catalog | new | search |

NEA-1807 IFPE/DEFEX-II DEMO.

IFPE/DEFEX-II DEMO, BWR fuel primary defect and conditions leading to secondary failure of the cladding by hydriding

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1. NAME OF EXPERIMENT

IFPE/DEFEX-II DEMO

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2. COMPUTERS

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Program name Package id Status Status date
IFPE/DEFEX-II DEMO NEA-1807/01 Arrived 14-APR-2008

Machines used:

Package ID Orig. computer Test computer
NEA-1807/01 Many Computers
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3. DESCRIPTION

Two tests have been performed at the R2 reactor with the aim of demonstrating a technique for simulating a primary defect and the conditions leading to secondary failure of the cladding by hydriding. In the tests, steam was introduced into the rodlets at power. Upon detection of failure of the cladding, the linear heat rate was increased in two steps.

 

The two test rodlets were refabricated from a segment rod, which had obtained a burnup of around 25 MWd/kgU in the Ringhals 1 BWR plant. Neutron radiography and profilometry before and after irradiation were used in order to determine hydride blisters, defects and dimensional changes. The defects were further examined visually. Gamma scanning showed the distribution of fission products.

 

The two rodlets were operated at different linear heat ratings: 35 and 40 kW/m, respectively. Rodlet No. 1 failed at the bottom weld. The resulting crack had propagated in a direction which was mainly circumferential. Rodlet No. 2 failed with three axiaily oriented cracks emanating from local hydride concentrations. SEM examinations of fracture surfaces from both rodlets revealed a brittle fracture with almost no signs of ductile fracture. The cracks were seen to have propagated both radially and axiaily from the outside of the cladding. All macroscopic features seen in the examined axial crack of rodlet No. 2 have previously been observed in failed power reactor rods with long axial splits. The cracking mechanism of long splits in power reactor rods is therefore believed to have been duplicated in this R2 test.

 

Rodlet No. 2 yielded two specimens for metallographical examination. A transverse specimen was examined at successively ground and polished cross sections at the crack tip. No significant redistribution of the hydride was seen in the transverse sections. Hydride accumulation was observed at the crack tip of a tangential specimen with a crack. It was observed that crack propagation was accompanied by plastic deformation amounting to a wall thickness reduction of about 9%.

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9. STATUS
Package ID Status date Status
NEA-1807/01 14-APR-2008 Masterfiled restricted
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10. REFERENCES
NEA-1807/01, included references:
- Christian Graslund: The DEFEX II DEMO Project - Refabrication and Irradiation
Of Two Test BWR Fuel Rodlets with Medium Burnup (STUDSVIK-DEFEX IID-1, 1998)
- Gunnar Lysell: The Studsvik DEFEX II DEMO Project - (STUDSVIK-DEFEX IID-2,
1998)
- Gunnar Lysell: The Studsvik DEFEX II DEMO Project - Fracture Surface
Examination (STUDSVIK-DEFEX IID-2, 1998 - N(H)-98-26)
- Viatcheslav Griogoriev: The DEFEX II DEMO Project - Metallographical
Examination of Two Specimens with Axial Cracks (STUDSVIK-DEFEX IID-3, 1998)
- Christian Graslund and Gunnar Lysell: The Studsvik DEFEX II DEMO Project
Final Report (STUDSVIK-DEFEX IID-4, 1998)
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12. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE(S) USED
No specified programming language
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15. AUTHORS

Studsvik Nuclear AB

SE-611 82 NYKOEPING

Sweden

 

Compilation: J.A. Turnbull

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16. MATERIAL AVAILABLE
NEA-1807/01
DEM-1.his Two zone base + R2 history for rod 1
DEM-2.his Two zone base + R2 history for rod 2
DEFEX-II DEMO Summary.doc DEFEX Summary
PIE.doc Summary of important PIE extracted from supplied reports
Precharacterization.doc Pre-characterization data
QA report for DEFEX-II DEMO.doc QA report
Readme.doc Readme file
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17. CATEGORIES
  • Y. Integral Experiments Data, Databases, Benchmarks

Keywords: boiling water reactor, cladding, defect, elongation, hydriding, zircaloy.