Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Allowable peak heat-up cladding temperature for spent fuel integrity during interim-dry storage

  • Jang, Ki-Nam (Dongguk University, College of Energy and Environment) ;
  • Cha, Hyun-Jin (Dongguk University, College of Energy and Environment) ;
  • Kim, Kyu-Tae (Dongguk University, College of Energy and Environment)
  • Received : 2017.02.04
  • Accepted : 2017.08.09
  • Published : 2017.12.25
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Abstract

To investigate allowable peak cladding temperature and hoop stress for maintenance of cladding integrity during interim-dry storage and subsequent transport, zirconium alloy cladding tubes were hydrogen-charged to generate 250 ppm and 500 ppm hydrogen contents, simulating spent nuclear fuel degradation. The hydrogen-charged specimens were heated to four peak temperatures of $250^{\circ}C$, $300^{\circ}C$, $350^{\circ}C$, and $400^{\circ}C$, and then cooled to room temperature at cooling rates of $0.3^{\circ}C/min$ under three tensile hoop stresses of 80 MPa, 100 MPa, and 120 MPa. The cool-down specimens showed that high peak heat-up temperature led to lower hydrogen content and that larger tensile hoop stress generated larger radial hydride fraction and consequently lower plastic elongation. Based on these out-of-pile cladding tube test results only, it may be said that peak cladding temperature should be limited to a level < $250^{\circ}C$, regardless of the cladding hoop stress, to ensure cladding integrity during interim-dry storage and subsequent transport.

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References

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