Behavior of irradiated PWR fuel under simulated RIA conditions; Results of the NSRR tests GK-1 and GK-2

Sasajima, Hideo ; Sugiyama, Tomoyuki ; Nakamura, Takehiko* ; Fuketa, Toyoshi

Results from power burst tests, GK-1 and GK-2, conducted at the NSRR, are summarized. The tests were performed on a 1414 PWR fuel rod irradiated to a burnup of 42 MWd/kgU in the Genkai unit #1 of Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc. The instrumented test fuel rod in a double-container-type capsule was subjected to the pulse-irradiation with stagnant water cooling condition at 0.1 MPa and 293 K. Deposited energy and peak fuel enthalpy were 505 J/g and 389 J/g in the Test GK-1, and 490 J/g and 377 J/g in the Test GK-2, respectively. During the pulse-irradiations, DNB occurred and the cladding surface temperature reached 581 K and 569 K in the Tests GK-1 and -2, respectively. The maximum cladding hoop strain was 2.7% in the Test GK-1 and 1.2% in the Test GK-2. However, the test fuel rods did not fail. Estimated fission gas releases during the pulse-irradiations were 11.7% and 7.0% in the Tests GK-1 and -2, respectively.