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Overview presentation of axial gas communication development and validation from a TCF project. EPRI, our industry cost-share partners has asked that we present on this topic at the upcoming CRAFT meeting.
Axial gas communication concerns the flow along the axial axis of nuclear fuel rods during ramp and loss of coolant accident (LOCA) conditions. During power ramps, the higher linear heat generation rate may cause fuel-to-clad gap closure that may prevent transport of released fission gases to the plenum. Upon reduction in power the gas then can communicate to the plenum. This phenomenon has been experimentally observed by short power dips during ramp experiments completed at the Risø reactor. At higher burnups it is observed that the UO2 fuel and Zircaloy cladding forms a chemical bond. This bond results in complete closure of the gap. When these high burnup rods are subjected to a LOCA, the bond has implications on both the mechanical response (i.e., ballooning) of the cladding and subsequent fuel relocation and axial gas communication. In the LOCA scenario, gas communication is of interest in two different regimes: 1) pre-rupture communication from the plenum towards the lower pressure ballooning area and 2) the post-rupture depressurization of the plenum to the external system pressure. In both regimes the presence of a fuel-to-cladding bond will impact the rate of depressurization. In this work we present a fuel-to-clad bonding model that is coupled to an existing axial gas communication model framework in the BISON fuel performance code. The effect of considering the bond on fuel performance modeling predictions is presented through comparisons to existing experimental data. Experiments considered include several rods from the Halden IFA-650 test series. An evaluation on a full-length rod that explores the combined effect of plenum size and bonding status on axial gas communication behavior is also presented.
Fuel rods irradiated in light-water reactors to burnup values above 45 MWd/kgU are subject to the formation of a chemical and mechanical bond between the fuel and cladding upon gap closure. The formation of the bond subsequently inhibits the ability of fission gases released from the fuel to flow freely to the plenum of the rod. The flowing of gases within fuel rods is referred to as axial gas communication. During transients, such as loss of coolant accidents, the bond may influence cladding deformation prior to breaking. Upon bond breakage, gases are able to more freely communicate to the lower pressure regions of the rod. The impact of bonding on gas communication and the ballooning behavior of the cladding during a loss of coolant accident is of interest to the nuclear industry in support of burnup extension for the existing light-water reactor fleet. In this report, a model to capture the effects of fuel cladding bonding in the BISON fuel performance code is presented. The theory of the model along with implementation testing is provided. A summary of a previously developed axial gas communication is given to set the stage for how the two models may be coupled together. A full-length pressurized-water reactor fuel rod demonstration is highlighted to evaluate the impact of including bonding on axial gas communication calculations using a preliminary coupling methodology. An overview of the next steps regarding the modeling of bonding, axial gas communication, and a more tightly coupled framework is also provided.
Presentation requested by our collaborators on the technology commercialization fund project. This presentation provides an overview of the axial gas communication capabilities in the BISON fuel performance code. A discussion on models that impact gas communication, the theory behind the implementation, verification, and validation cases are presented.
The system utilizes a spherical tank structure A separated into two equal volume compartments by a flat bulkhead B. Each compartment has four similar gallery channel legs located in the principal vehicle axes, ensuring that bulk propellant will contact at least one gallery leg during vehicle maneuvers. The forward compartment gallery channel legs collect propellant and feed it into the aft compartment through communication screens which protrude into the aft compartment. The propellant is then collected by the screened gallery channels in the aft compartment and supplied to the propellant outlet. The invention resides in the independent gallery assembly and screen structure by means of which propellant flow from forward to aft compartments is maintained. Liquid surface tension of the liquid on the screens is used to control liquid flow. The system provides gas-free propellants in low or zero-g environments regardless of axial accelerations and propellant orientation in bulk regions of the vessel.