• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.13 no.7
• /
• pp.473-477
• /
• 2003

The hydrogen redistribution induced by thermotransport at temperatures likely to be encountered in nuclear power reactors (300-$340^{\circ}C$) was investigated in modified Zircaloy-4 alloys. Modified Zircaloy-4 alloys were prepared by altering the chemical composition of Zircaloy-4; the oxygen content of Zircaloy-4 (0.1 wt%) was increased to 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 wt%. The heat of transport ($Q^{*}$ ) for hydrogen was measured by changing the initial hydrogen and oxygen concentrations. It was found that the heat of transport was not affected by increases in the initial hydrogen concentration from 63.3 to 91.7 ppm. However, the value of $Q^{Q}$ decreased from 6.8 to 4.5 ㎉/mol as the initial oxygen concentration was increased from 0.2 to 1.0 wt%.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
• /
• 1997.05b
• /
• pp.207-213
• /
• 1997

The computational scheme on a irradiation temperature of U-10Zr fuel was established considering porosity formation, bond sodium infiltration and constituent redistribution. Thermotransport theory was adapted to model the redistribution phenomenon. As a results, the bond sodium seems to be logged in the outer region of fuel slug. The main driving force for constituent redistribution appears to be the Zr solubility change along to radial position of the fuel. It is evident that the heat of transport also has some contribution to the redistribution.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.507-517
• /
• 1998

Unlike conventional fuel types, fuel constituent redistribution and sodium intrusion into the fuel slug are the unique phenomena of the irradiated metallic fuel. A thermal calculation model on metallic U-10 wt.%Zr fuel rod for LMRs is developed with considerations given to these phenomena. The amount of constituent redistribution is estimated based on the thermotransport process. The temperature profile of fuel slug is predicted by taking into account of Zr redistribution, porosity formation and sodium logging effects. A sample calculation is performed and compared to experimental data in literature. As a result, the predicted redistribution and temperature profile are well agreed with experimental data, assuming that 15 times increment of ex-reactor diffusivity, $Q_{r}$ $^{*}$ is -50 kJ/mole and sodium is infiltrated only outside of the fuel slug. Furthermore, the redistribution effects on fuel integrity and fuel temperature profile are discussed.d.