Analytical study of SPERT-CDC test 859 using fuel performance codes FEMAXI-8 and RANNS

Taniguchi, Yoshinori ; Udagawa, Yutaka  ; Amaya, Masaki  

The fuel-failure-limit data obtained in the simulated reactivity-initiated-accident experiment SPERT-CDC 859 (SPERT859) has entailed a lot of discussions if it represents fuel-failure behavior of typical commercial LWRs for its specific pre-irradiation condition and fuel state. The fuel-rod conditions before and during SPERT859 were thus assessed by the fuel-performance codes FEMAXI-8 and RANNS with focusing on cladding corrosion and its effect on the failure limit of the test rod. The analysis showed that the fuel cladding was probably excessively corroded even when the influential calculation conditions such as fuel swelling and creep models were determined so that the lowest limit of the cladding oxide layer thickness was captured. Such assumption of excessive cladding corrosion during pre-irradiation well explains not only the test-rod state before pulse irradiation but also the fuel-failure limit observed. Such understanding undermines anew the representativeness of the test data as a direct basis of safety evaluation for LWR fuels.