Rationalization of the fuel integrity and transient criteria for the super LWR

Yamaji, Akifumi*; Oka, Yoshiaki*; Ishiwatari, Yuki*; Liu, J.*; Koshizuka, Seiichi*; Suzuki, Motoe

Ensuring the fuel integrities is one of the most fundamental parts in the High Temperature Supercritical-Pressure Light Water Reactor. Most abnormal transient events of SCLWR-H last for a short period of time and the fuel rods are replaced after being irradiated in the core. In this study, the fuel integrity criteria are rationalized based on the fact that the fuel rod mechanical failures can be represented by the strain of the fuel rod cladding. A new fuel rod is designed with a Stainless Steel cladding. It is internally pressurized to reduce the stress on the cladding and also to increase the gap conductance between the pellet and the cladding. The fuel integrities both at normal operation and abnormal transient conditions are evaluated using the fuel analysis code FEMAXI-6 of JAERI.