Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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RESULTS OF THERMAL CREEP TEST ON HIGHLY IRRADIATED ZIRLO

  • Quecedo, M. (ENUSA Industrias Avanzadas SA) ;
  • Lloret, M. (ENUSA Industrias Avanzadas SA) ;
  • Conde, J.M. (Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear) ;
  • Alejano, C. (Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear) ;
  • Gago, J.A. (ENRESA) ;
  • Fernandez, F.J. (ENRESA)
  • Published : 2009.03.30
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Abstract

This paper presents a thermal creep test under internal pressure and post-test characterization performed on high burnup (68 MWd/kgU) ZIRLO. This research has been done by the CSN, ENRESA, and ENUSA in order to investigate the behavior of advanced cladding materials in contemporary PWRs at higher burnup under dry cask storage conditions. Also, to investigate the hydride reorientation, the cool-down of the samples after the test has been done in a coordinated manner with the internal pressure. The creep results obtained are consistent with the expected behavior from reference CWSR material, Zr-4. During the test, the material retained significant ductility: one specimen leaked during the test at an engineering strain of the tube section of 17%; remarkably, the crack closed due to de-pressurization. Although significant hydride reorientation occurred during the cool-down under pressure, no specimen failed during the cool-down.

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References

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