In-core behavior of silicide fuel; Power transient by abnormal control rod withdrawal and cold coolant induction

Yanagisawa, Kazuaki

The safety study of the silicide fuel for the use in the Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR) under the power transient was carried out. (1) It was revealed from the experimental tests that the peak cladding surface temperature (PCST) for the abnormal control rod withdrawal (ACRW) during the reactor start-up was 137C and that for the cold coolant induction (CCI) at the secondary loop was 111C. The values were higher than those of the EUREKA-2 code calculation used for the JMTR licensing. (2) The PCST of the two tests did not exceed the minimum DNBR and the fuel integrity of them was kept without causing any fuel damage. Consequently, experimental results cleared the judging criteria for safety of ACRW and CCI. These experimental facts lead that the predictions made by the code for ACRW and CCI is safe enough.