RANNS code analysis on the local mechanical conditions of cladding of high burnup fuel rods under PCMI in RIA-simulated experiments in NSRR

Suzuki, Motoe; Saito, Hiroaki*; Fuketa, Toyoshi

The RANNS code analyzes behaviors of a single fuel rod in reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) conditions. The code has two types of mechanical model; one-dimensional deformation model for each axial segment length of rod, and newly-developed two-dimensional local deformation model for one pellet length. Analyses were performed on the RIA-simulated experiments in the Nuclear Safety Research Reactor (NSRR), OI-10, with high burnup PWR rods, and results of cladding deformation were compared between calculations by the two models and PIE data. The pre-accident, or End-of-Life conditions of the rods were predicted by the fuel performance code FEAMXI-6. In the calculations by the two-dimensional model of RANNS, the plastic strain increases at the cladding ridges during PCMI were compared with those in between the ridges and with the PIE data, and effect of stress variance induced by local non-uniformity of strain on the crack growth was discussed.