燃料挙動解析コードパッケージFEMAXIの機能拡充; 軽水炉燃料の反応度事故時挙動解析モジュールRANNSの開発と検証

田崎 雄大; 宇田川 豊

JAEA-Data/Code 2024-012, 76 Pages, 2024/12

JAEA-Data-Code-2024-012.pdf:9.25MB

日本原子力研究開発機構(以下、「原子力機構」という。)では、軽水炉燃料の通常運転時及び過渡条件下の挙動評価を目的として、燃料挙動解析コードFEMAXIを開発してきた。2019年3月には、同コードとして初めて体系的な検証と性能評価を行ったFEMAXI-8を公開し、以降も様々な改良を続けている。並行して、原子力機構では2000年代より、設計基準事故(DBA)解析用のブランチとしてRANNSモジュールの開発を進めてきた。RANNSは、DBA条件、ここでは主に反応度事故(RIA)の様な非常に急峻な過渡に対しても燃料挙動を追跡できるよう、特に計算の安定性を重視しつつ、このような過渡挙動を適切に予測する上で重要な沸騰熱伝達、粒界分離を伴うFPガス放出、破壊力学指標に基づく被覆管破損判定などを特有のモデルとして備えている。本報告では、これら事故時挙動解析向けモデルの解説やプログラムの設計・構造におけるFEMAXIとの関係に加え、原子力機構が研究炉NSRRを用いて実験を実施し、蓄積してきた膨大なRIA実験データによる大規模検証の結果を示し、同モジュールの総合的なRIA解析性能を評価している。RANNSモジュールの公開に当たっては、パッケージ化されたFEMAXI/RANNSとしてユーザへ提供する予定であり、これにより広い条件での燃料挙動を解析することが可能となる。また、検証解析を通じて一定の性能が確認されたモデルパラメータセットも本報告内で提示しており、これを参照することで、これまで公開してきたFEMAXI-8とユーザビリティは殆ど変わることなく、また解析者の力量に大きく依存することなく、事故時挙動解析の実行が可能である。

Fission gas dynamics test; Development of reactivity-initiated-accident testing technique devoted to investigation of fission gas release kinetics

三原 武; 浦野 建太; 宇田川 豊

Proceedings of TopFuel 2024 (Internet), 9 Pages, 2024/10

https://www.euronuclear.org/scientific-resources/conference-proceedings/#1559592636459-42447d8c-0fcc

To promote a better understanding of the fission gas behavior during a reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) and its role in the thermo-mechanical loading in the fuel cladding, the Fission Gas Dynamics (FGD) test program has been developed in the framework of the JAEA and Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) cooperation. The concept of the FGD test is to understand the effect of fission gas release during a RIA test through transient measurement of the pressure inside a rigid chamber, which contains the test fuel, with its minimum deformation against pressure increase. Since the internal pressure sensor of strain gauge (SG) type used in previous RIA-simulated Nuclear Safety Research Reactor (NSRR) tests is strongly affected by gamma and/or neutron field in the NSRR core, we adopted a new pressure sensor using a linear variable differential transducer (LVDT) for accurate pressure measurement with higher stability against pulse irradiation. JAEA has conducted the first NSRR-FGD test (FGD-1) on high-burnup fuel with doped pellets. In advance, difference in pressure response between LVDT-type and SG-type sensors was carefully examined as performance measure of the LVDT-type sensor. The response delay of the LVDT-type sensor compared with the SG-type one was estimated to be about 1.5 ms when the pressure increasing rate exceeded above 20 MPa/s. In the FGD-1 test, the LVDT-type pressure sensor detected a pressure rise of about 100 MPa/s just after the pulse irradiation, which confirmed the capability of this FGD testing technique to study the kinetics of rapid fission gas release during the simulated RIA conditions.

The Effect of a cyclic bending load on the bending resistance of ballooned, ruptured, and oxidized Zircaloy-4 cladding

Li, F.; 成川 隆文; 宇田川 豊

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 61(8), p.1036 - 1047, 2024/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2293100

The seismic resistance of fuel cladding during the long-term core cooling after loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs) was investigated by performing cyclic four-point bending tests (4PBTs) of up to 1000 cycles with fresh fuel cladding samples that experienced integral thermal shock test, simulating LOCA conditions, including ballooning, rupture, oxidation, and quench. 4PBTs were performed on the samples that survived the quenching process. The results showed that up to 1000 cycles and 5.8 Nm of cyclic loading moment, there was no apparent effect on the bending fracture limit of the fuel cladding under the 4PBT. The scatter of the bending fracture limit for a given equivalent cladding reacted (ECR) evaluated by the Baker-Just oxidation rate equation (BJ-ECR) is attributed to two primary factors: first, the difference between the prescribed and the actual oxidation behavior, confirmed by comparing the BJ-ECR and the ECR evaluated based on metallographic observation (M-ECR), and second, the variated shape of the rupture-opening area after the integral thermal shock test. The strength of the alpha phase-dominant zone near the rupture opening seems to contribute to the bending fracture limit.

Modeling of the P2M past fuel melting experiments with the FEMAXI-8 code

Mohamad, A. B.; 宇田川 豊

Nuclear Technology, 210(2), p.245 - 260, 2024/02

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2023.2185061

In the Power to Melt and Maneuverability (P2M) project, a simulation exercise on two past power ramp experiments xM3 on medium burn-up rod and HBC4 on high burn-up rod were performed with the fuel performance code FEMAXI-8 to investigate the fuel behavior under high power and high-temperature conditions toward centerline fuel melting. In order to treat fuel melting, empirical melting temperature models have been incorporated into the FEMAXI-8 code. The present analysis gave reasonable predictions not only on cladding deformation but also on the fuel melting behavior of the HBC4 rod, in which the UO liquidus temperature was reached during the transient. On the other hand, model improvement appeared to be needed for a more accurate treatment of fuel melting behavior of the xM3 rod, in which fuel center temperature reached solidus line, whereas may not reached liquidus line. A reasonable agreement of estimated FGR with the measurement suggested that the high temperature FGR at the given conditions are essentially temperature dependent phenomenon: rate-limited primarily by thermally activated elementary processes such as fission gas diffusion.

Oxidation and embrittlement behavior of FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube under loss-of-coolant accident conditions

成川 隆文; 近藤 啓悦; 藤村 由希; 垣内 一雄; 宇田川 豊; 根本 義之

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 587, p.154736_1 - 154736_8, 2023/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154736

To evaluate the oxidation and embrittlement behavior of an oxide-dispersion-strengthened FeCrAl (FeCrAl-ODS) cladding tube under loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) conditions, we conducted isothermal oxidation and ring-compression tests on unirradiated, stress-relieved FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube specimens. Further, we discussed the loss of coolable geometry of the reactor core loaded with the FeCrAl-ODS cladding tubes under LOCA conditions, using data from the ring-compression tests in this study and the integral thermal shock tests from our previous study. The results reveal that oxidation kinetics of the FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube at 1523 K is four orders of magnitude lower than that of a conventional Zircaloy cladding tube, which highlights the exceptional oxidation resistance of the FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube. The breakaway oxidation of the FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube was observed at 1623 K for durations equal to or exceeding 6 h, and melting was observed at 1723 K. The ring-compression and the integral thermal shock tests indicate that, depending on the oxidation time, the ductile to brittle transition threshold - as determined by the ring-compression test - exists between 1623 K and 1723 K. Meanwhile, the fracture threshold - established through the integral thermal shock test - falls between 1573 K and 1673 K. Therefore, taking a conservative approach based on available data, the fracture and non-fracture results from the integral thermal shock tests can define the lower and upper boundaries of the threshold for the loss of coolable geometry of the reactor core during a LOCA.

Behavior of FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube under loss-of-coolant accident conditions

成川 隆文; 近藤 啓悦; 藤村 由希; 垣内 一雄; 宇田川 豊; 根本 義之

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 582, p.154467_1 - 154467_12, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154467

To evaluate the behavior of an oxide-dispersion-strengthened FeCrAl (FeCrAl-ODS) cladding tube under loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) conditions of light-water reactors (LWRs), the following two laboratory-scale LOCA-simulated tests were performed: the burst and integral thermal shock tests. Four burst and three integral thermal shock tests were performed on unirradiated, stress-relieved FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube specimens, simulating ballooning and rupture, oxidation, and quenching, which were postulated during a LOCA. The burst temperature of the FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube was 200-300 K higher than that of the Zircaloy cladding tube, and the FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube's maximum circumferential strain was smaller than or equal to the Zircaloy-4 cladding tube. These results indicate that the FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube has higher strength at high temperatures than the conventional Zircaloy cladding tube. The FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube did not fracture after being subjected to an axial restraint load of 5000 N, which is more than 10 times higher than the axial restraint load estimated for existing LWRs, during quenching, following isothermal oxidation at 1473 K for 1 h. The FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube was hardly oxidized during this isothermal oxidation condition. However, it melted after a short oxidation at 1673 K and fractured after abnormal oxidation at 1573 K for 1 h. Based on these results, the FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube should not fracture in the time range expected during LOCAs below 1473 K, where no melting or abnormal oxidation occurs.

Behavior of high-burnup BWR UO fuel with additives under reactivity-initiated accident conditions

三原 武; 垣内 一雄; 谷口 良徳; 宇田川 豊

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(5), p.512 - 525, 2023/05

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2122616

Fuels with additives are expected to provide enhanced fuel performance in fission gas retention owing to their large grain size, which elongates fission gas migration path. To investigate behavior of the fuels during a reactivity-initiated accident (RIA), RIA-simulated experiments OS-1 and LS-4 were performed on ADOPT (chromia- and alumina-doped UO) fuel of 64 GWd/t and chromia-doped UO fuel of 48 GWd/t, respectively. The OS-1 rod failed at a fuel enthalpy increase of 160 J/g due to pellet-cladding mechanical interaction failure, which was the lowest failure limit among the test results ever obtained at the NSRR on high-burnup fuels from 40 to 65 GWd/tU. Comparison of the hydride morphologies in the cladding metallic layer between the rods subjected to the past NSRR tests suggests the contribution of radially oriented hydrides during base irradiation to the low failure limit. The LS-4 rod survived for a peak fuel enthalpy increase of 549 J/g, which resulted in cladding deformation of 2.4% in the residual hoop strain and FGR of 1.4%-6.1%. Whereas the low fission gas release exhibits the effect of additives, the cladding deformation is within the range explained by the deformation mechanism essentially identical to those recognized for high-burnup undoped fuels.

Evaluation of anisotropic elastic and plastic parameters of Zircaloy-4 fuel cladding from biaxial stress test data and their application to a fracture mechanics analysis

Li, F.; 三原 武; 宇田川 豊

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 59(12), p.1455 - 1464, 2022/12

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2062474

The mechanical properties of fuel cladding near the elastic limit are essential in considering its failure limit during a pellet-cladding mechanical interaction phase under reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) conditions. The mechanical properties of a Zircaloy-4 cladding tube, such as orthotropic elasticity and anisotropic constants for Hill's plasticity law, were evaluated based on the biaxial stress test data, focusing on the equivalent plastic strain up to ~2.5%. Samples with various fabrication conditions, such as cold-worked, recrystallized, and stress relieved after cold-work with Q-factors of 2, 3, and 4 were investigated. The cold worked samples and recrystallized samples showed high yield stress and Young's modulus, respectively. The evaluated mechanical properties of the stress relieved samples revealed a limited impact of Q-factors on mechanical behavior, including their anisotropic feature. The derived mechanical properties were applied to evaluate the fracture mechanics parameter, J-integral, based on failure limit data from biaxial-expansion-due-to-compression tests on precracked tubes. This evaluation produced systematically lower J-integral values of the stress relieved tube than previously evaluated based on the failure limit data from in-pile RIA-simulated tests.

Mechanical property evaluation with nanoindentation method on Zircaloy-4 cladding tube after LOCA-simulated experiment

垣内 一雄; 山内 紹裕*; 天谷 政樹; 宇田川 豊; 北野 剛司*

Proceedings of TopFuel 2022 (Internet), p.409 - 418, 2022/10

In order to examine the influence of cladding microstructural changes upon the mechanical property of the fuel cladding under LOCA conditions in a more direct and quantitative manner, the nanoindentation method has been applied to Zircaloy-4 cladding specimens after LOCA simulated tests (about 1473 K, ECR 20%, quench at 973 K after slow cooling); results for two specimens taken from the rupture opening part and secondary hydriding part were compared. In addition to hardness and Young's modulus, the plastic work fraction that corresponds to the relative ductility was evaluated from the load-displacement curve. The plastic work fraction at the secondary hydriding part was found to be obviously lower than that at the rupture opening part and closer to that in -Zr(O) layers beneath the outer surface. This result from the nanoindentation method agrees with the conventional knowledge about low ductility at the secondary hydriding part.

Irradiation growth behavior and effect of hydrogen absorption of Zr-based cladding alloys for PWR

垣内 一雄; 天谷 政樹; 宇田川 豊

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 171, p.109004_1 - 109004_9, 2022/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2022.109004

In order to understand the dimensional stability of the fuel rod during long-term use in commercial LWRs, an irradiation growth testing in the Halden reactor of Norway was conducted on various fuel cladding materials including the improved Zr alloy. In this paper, the effect of hydrogen, which was absorbed in the cladding tube due to corrosion, on the irradiation growth behavior was evaluated. Comparison between the specimens with or without pre-charged hydrogen revealed that the effect of hydrogen absorption, accelerating irradiation growth, became significant when the hydrogen content exceeded the hydrogen solubility limit in the corresponding irradiation temperature. Analysis based on this understanding derived growth acceleration effect (0.060.01)%/100 ppm, whose denominator is defined as the amount of absorbed hydrogen involved in hydride precipitation under irradiation as a relevant parameter.