Hierarchical Bayes model to quantify fracture limit uncertainty of high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes under LOCA conditions

成川 隆文; 濱口 修輔*; 高田 孝*; 宇田川 豊

Proceedings of Asian Symposium on Risk Assessment and Management 2022 (ASRAM 2022) (Internet), 11 Pages, 2022/12

To realize a more reliable safety evaluation of loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs) in light-water-reactors, we developed a quantification method of the fracture limit uncertainty of high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes using a hierarchical Bayes model that can quantify uncertainty even when experimental data are limited. The fracture limit uncertainty was quantified as a probability using the amount of oxidation and the initial hydrogen concentration (the hydrogen concentration in fuel cladding tubes before the LOCA-simulated tests) as explanatory variables. The hierarchical Bayes model was developed by dividing the regression coefficients into a hierarchical structure with an overall average term common to all types of fuel cladding tubes and a term representing differences between types of fuel cladding tubes. Using the developed model, we showed that the fracture limits of the high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes tended to be on average equal to or higher than that of an unirradiated conventional fuel cladding tube. Further, we proposed a method to reduce the fracture limit uncertainty by using non-binary data depending on the condition of the fuel cladding tube specimens after the LOCA-simulated test instead of the binary data, thereby increasing the amount of information in each data.

Four-point-bend tests on high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes after exposure to simulated LOCA conditions

成川 隆文; 天谷 政樹

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(7), p.782 - 791, 2020/07

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1724207

To evaluate the fracture resistance of high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes during the long-term core cooling period following loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs), laboratory-scale four-point-bend tests were performed using the following advanced fuel cladding tubes with burnups of 73 - 84 GWd/t: low-tin ZIRLO, M5, and Zircaloy-2 (LK3). Three four-point-bend tests were performed on the high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tube specimens subjected to the integral thermal shock tests which simulated LOCA conditions (ballooning and rupture, oxidation in high-temperature steam, and quench). During the four-point-bend tests, all the specimens that were oxidized at 1474 K to 9.9% - 21.5% equivalent cladding reacted exhibited brittle fractures. The maximum bending moments were comparable to those of the conventional Zircaloy cladding tube specimens. Furthermore, the effects of oxidation and hydriding on the maximum bending moment were comparable between the high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tube specimens and the unirradiated Zircaloy-4 cladding tube specimens. Therefore, it can be concluded that the post-LOCA fracture resistance of fuel cladding tubes is not significantly reduced by extending the burnup to 84 GWd/t and using the advanced fuel cladding tubes, though it may slightly decrease with increasing initial hydrogen concentration in a relatively lower ECR range ( 15%), as observed for the unirradiated Zircaloy-4 cladding tubes.

Behavior of high-burnup advanced LWR fuel cladding tubes under LOCA conditions

成川 隆文; 天谷 政樹

Proceedings of International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference / Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference (Global/Top Fuel 2019) (USB Flash Drive), p.912 - 921, 2019/09

To evaluate behavior of high-burnup advanced light-water-reactor fuel cladding tubes under loss-of-coolant accident conditions, laboratory-scale isothermal oxidation tests and integral thermal shock tests were performed using the following advanced fuel cladding tubes with burnups of 73-85 GWd/t: M-MDA, low-tin ZIRLO, M5textregistered, and Zircaloy-2 (LK3). The isothermal oxidation tests were performed in steam-flowing conditions at temperatures ranging from 1173 to 1473 K for durations between 120 and 4000 s. The oxidation kinetics of the high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tube specimens was comparable to or slower than that of the unirradiated Zircaloy-4 cladding tube and was slower than that given by the Baker-Just oxidation rate equation. Therefore, the oxidation kinetics is considered to be not significantly accelerated by extending the burnup and changing the alloy composition. During the integral thermal shock tests, the high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tube specimens did not fracture under the oxidation condition equivalent to or lower than the fracture limit of the unirradiated Zircaloy-4 cladding tube. Therefore, the fracture limit of fuel cladding tubes is considered to be not significantly reduced by extending the burnup and changing the alloy composition, though it may slightly decrease with increasing initial hydrogen concentration.

高性能燃料被覆管材質の研究; 平成11~12年度(フェーズ1)報告書(共同研究)

木内 清; 井岡 郁夫; 橘 勝美; 鈴木 富男; 深谷 清*; 猪原 康人*; 神原 正三; 黒田 雄二*; 宮本 智司*; 小倉 一知*

JAERI-Research 2002-008, 63 Pages, 2002/03

JAERI-Research-2002-008.pdf:7.85MB

本研究は、平均燃焼度100GWd/tを目指したABWR用の超高燃焼度MOXを念頭にした「高性能燃料被覆管材質の研究」のフェーズ1である。フェーズ1は、平成10年度に実施した基礎調査結果を踏まえて、平成11年度と平成12年度の2年間にわたり実施した。フェーズ1では、現用Zr系合金の使用経験データを解析して、超高燃焼度化にかかわる長期耐久性の支配因子を摘出及び高性能被覆管の要求特性に照らして耐食合金間の相互比較,フェーズ2の中性子照射試験等の基礎評価試験用候補材の選定を行った。

Status and plan of LOCA study at JAEA

成川 隆文

no journal, , 

JAEA has conducted studies on fuel behaviors under loss-of-coolant-accident (LOCA) conditions with both unirradiated and high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tube materials. As a result, various kinds of information have been obtained on behaviors of these cladding tube materials under LOCA conditions: oxidation, ballooning, rupture, thermal shock resistance (fracture/non-fracture conditions), post-LOCA mechanical strength, etc. In addition, new LOCA tests are planned at JAEA for the purpose of investigating effects of phenomena of fuel fragmentation, relocation and dispersal (FFRD) on fuel behaviors and coolability of reactor core during a LOCA. It is expected that these results including those obtained by the future study provide necessary information for future regulation on high-burnup fuels with advanced cladding alloys.