Hierarchical Bayesian modeling to quantify fracture limit uncertainty of high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes under loss-of-coolant accident conditions

成川 隆文; 濱口 修輔*; 高田 孝*; 宇田川 豊

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 411, p.112443_1 - 112443_12, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112443

For realizing a highly reliable fracture limit evaluation of fuel cladding tubes during loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs) in light-water reactors, we developed a method to quantify the fracture limit uncertainty of high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes. This method employs a hierarchical Bayesian model that can quantify uncertainty even with limited experimental data. The fracture limit uncertainty was quantified as a probability using the amount of oxidation (Equivalent cladding reacted: ECR) and the initial hydrogen concentration (the hydrogen concentration in the fuel cladding tubes before the LOCA-simulated tests) as explanatory variables. We divided the regression coefficients of this model into a hierarchical structure with an overall average term common to all types of fuel cladding tubes and a term representing differences among various types of fuel cladding tubes. This hierarchical structure enabled us to quantify the fracture limit uncertainty through the effective use of prior knowledge and data, even for high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes with a small number of data points. The fracture limits representing a 5% fracture probability with 95% confidence of the high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes evaluated by the hierarchical Bayesian model were higher than 15% ECR for the initial hydrogen concentrations of up to 700-900 wtppm and restraint loads below 535 N. These fracture limits were comparable to the limit of the unirradiated Zircaloy-4 cladding tube, indicating that the burnup extension and use of the advanced fuel cladding tubes do not significantly lower the fracture limit of fuel cladding tubes. Further, we proposed a method to reduce the fracture limit uncertainty by using non-binary data, instead of the binary data, depending on the condition of the fuel cladding tube specimens after performing the LOCA-simulated test, thereby increasing the amount of information in the data.

Study on the effect of long-term high temperature irradiation on TRISO fuel

Shaimerdenov, A.*; Gizatulin, S.*; Dyussambayev, D.*; Askerbekov, S.*; 植田 祥平; 相原 純; 柴田 大受; 坂場 成昭

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 54(8), p.2792 - 2800, 2022/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2022.02.026

In the core of the WWR-K reactor, a long-term irradiation of tri-structural isotopic (TRISO)-coated fuel particles (CFPs) with a UO kernel was carried out under normal operating conditions of the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR). This TRISO fuel was attained at the temperature of 950 to 1,100 C, and the uranium burnup of 9.9% FIMA (fission per initial metal atom) during the irradiation. The release of the gaseous fission product from the fuel was measured in-pile, and its release-to-birth (R/B) ratio was evaluated using the model developed in the High-Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) project. After the irradiation test, fuel compacts were subjected to electric dissociation and nondestructive inspections such as X-ray radiography and gamma spectrometry. Finally, it was concluded that integrity of the TRISO fuel irradiated at approximately 9.9% FIMA was demonstrated, and a low fuel failure fraction and a low R/B measured with krypton-88 indicated good performance and reliability of the high burnup TRISO fuel.

Study on mechanism and threshold conditions for fuel fragmentation during loss-of-coolant accident conditions

成川 隆文; 宇田川 豊

Proceedings of TopFuel 2021 (Internet), 10 Pages, 2021/10

To clarify the mechanism and temperature threshold for fuel fragmentation during loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs), out-of-pile heating tests on bare fuel pellet pieces taken from a high-burnup PWR UO fuel rod (segment average burnup: 81 GWd/tU) were performed. The fuel pellet pieces taken from various regions in the radial direction of the fuel pellet were inductively heated with no cladding restraint in vacuum up to 1473 K at a rate of 5 K/s. During the heating tests, the fission gases released from the fuel pellet pieces were continuously analyzed in-situ using a quadrupole mass spectrometer. Following the heating tests, microstructural observation of the fuel pellet fragments was carried out. Based on the relationship between the extent of fuel fragmentation and the terminal temperature, and the time history of fission gas release, temperature thresholds for minor fuel fragmentation and slightly more fuel fragmentation were estimated to be 973 - 1073 K and 1173 - 1273 K, respectively. The extent of fuel fragmentation and the amount of fission gas release became more pronounced with increasing temperature. Further, the microstructural observations after the heating tests revealed that most of the fuel fragments smaller than approximately 500 - 750 m have microstructures consisting of many micropores and subgrains, which are characteristic of the dark zone or high-burnup structure. On the basis of these results, the mechanism of fuel fragmentation during LOCAs was discussed.

燃料挙動解析コードFEMAXI-8の燃料結晶粒内ガス移行モデル改良

宇田川 豊; 田崎 雄大

JAEA-Data/Code 2021-007, 56 Pages, 2021/07

JAEA-Data-Code-2021-007.pdf:5.05MB

FEMAXI-8は、軽水炉燃料の通常運転時及び過渡条件下の挙動解析を目的として日本原子力研究開発機構が開発・整備を進めてきたFEMAXIコードの最新バージョンとして、2019年3月に公開された。本報告では、公開以降新たに整備を進めた、燃料結晶粒内核分裂生成物(FP)ガスバブルの多群/非平衡モデルについてまとめた。結晶粒内で様々なサイズを持って分布しているFPガスバブルを単一の大きさのガスバブルにより近似していた従来のモデルに対し、このモデルでは、バブルサイズに関する2群以上の群構造と非平衡な挙動の双方を表現することが出来る。これによって、妥当なオーダーのガスバブル圧力算定が可能となるなど、主に過渡的な挙動の再現性改善が見込めると共に、粒内FPガスバブル挙動についてより厳密な記述が可能となり、FP挙動モデリング全体としての高度化余地が拡大している。今回のモデル整備では、まず、任意の群数や空間分割に対応する粒内FP挙動解析モジュールを開発した。次に、FEMAXI-8上で容易に運用可能な2群モデルとして扱うため、同モジュールとFEMAXI-8間のインタフェースを開発し、両者を接続した。これによりFEMAXI-8から利用可能となった2群モデルについては改めて検証解析を実施した。多群/非平衡モデル適用時にも一定の性能を確保できるモデルパラメータを決定し、公開パッケージ向けに整備した。

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.

Fracture limit of high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes under loss-of-coolant accident conditions

成川 隆文; 天谷 政樹

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(1), p.68 - 78, 2020/01

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1659873

To evaluate the fracture limit of high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes under loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) conditions, laboratory-scale 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, M5, and Zircaloy-2 (LK3). In total eight integral thermal shock tests were performed for these specimens, simulating LOCA conditions including ballooning and rupture, oxidation, hydriding, and quenching. During the tests, the specimens were oxidized to 10% - 30% equivalent cladding reacted (ECR) at approximately 1473 K and were quenched under axial restraint load of approximately 520 - 530 N. The effects of burnup extension and use of the advanced fuel cladding tubes on the ballooning and rupture, oxidation, and hydriding under LOCA conditions were inconsiderable. Further, the high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tube specimens did not fracture in the ECR values equal to or lower than the fracture limits of the unirradiated Zircaloy-4 cladding tube reported in previous studies. Therefore, it can be concluded that the fracture limit of fuel cladding tubes is not significantly reduced by extending the burnup to approximately 85 GWd/t and using the advanced fuel cladding tubes, though it slightly decreases with increasing initial hydrogen concentration.

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.

Oxidation behavior of high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes in high-temperature steam

成川 隆文; 天谷 政樹

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 56(7), p.650 - 660, 2019/07

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1613268

To evaluate the oxidation behavior of high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes in high-temperature steam, laboratory-scale isothermal oxidation tests were conducted using the following advanced fuel cladding tubes with burnups of up to 85 GWd/t: M-MDA, low-tin ZIRLO, M5, and Zircaloy-2 (LK3). These oxidation tests were performed in steam-flowing conditions at temperatures ranging from 1173 to 1473 K for durations between 120 and 4000 s, and the oxidation kinetics was evaluated. The oxidation kinetics of the high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tube specimens estimated by assuming the parabolic rate law was comparable to or slower than that of the unirradiated Zircaloy-4 cladding tube specimens reported in a previous study. It is considered that the protective effect of the corrosion layer hindered oxidation. Furthermore, no increase in the oxidation kinetics because of the pre-hydriding was observed. The onset times of the breakaway oxidations of these cladding tube specimens were comparable to those of the unirradiated Zircaloy-4 cladding tubes reported in previous studies. Therefore, it is considered that the burnup extension up to 85 GWd/t and the use of the advanced fuel cladding tubes do not significantly increase the oxidation kinetics and do not significantly reduce the onset time of the breakaway oxidation.

Research and development on high burnup HTGR fuels in JAEA

植田 祥平; 水田 直紀; 佐々木 孔英; 坂場 成昭; 大橋 弘史; Yan, X.

Proceedings of 27th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-27) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2019/05

原子力機構において、750Cから950Cの様々な高温熱利用を目的とした小型実用高温ガス炉や第四世代原子炉フォーラムの提案する超高温ガス炉のための燃料設計が進められてきた。これらの高温ガス炉の経済性を高めるため、原子力機構は従来のHTTR燃料よりも34倍高い燃焼度においても健全性を保持可能な高温ガス炉燃料の設計手法の高度化を進めてきた。その最新の成果として、カザフスタンとの国際協力の枠組みで実施している高燃焼度高温ガス炉燃料の照射後試験において、燃焼度約100GWd/thmにおける高速中性子照射量に対する燃料コンパクトの照射収縮率が明らかとなった。さらに、高燃焼度高温ガス炉燃料の実現に向けた今後必要とされる研究開発について、実験結果に基づいて述べる。

Investigation of irradiated properties of extended burnup TRISO fuel

Shaimerdenov, A.*; Gizatulin, S.*; Kenzhin, Y.*; Dyussambayev, D.*; 植田 祥平; 相原 純; 柴田 大受

Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2018/10

高温ガス炉燃料の100GWd/tへの高燃焼度化開発のため、原子力機構の協力の下、国際科学技術センター(ISTC)のプロジェクトにおいて、カザフスタン核物理研究所(INP)が高温ガス炉燃料試料の照射試験並びに照射後試験を実施している。新設計の四層三重(TRISO)被覆燃料粒子を円筒状の黒鉛マトリックス燃料コンパクトに成形した照射燃料試料は、日本において製作された。ヘリウムガススウィープ照射キャプセルの設計製作はINPが実施し、WWR-K照射炉を用いての照射試験が2015年4月から実施された。次の段階として、照射済み燃料試料の照射後試験が2017年2月にISTCの新規プロジェクトとして開始された。照射済み燃料試料の非破壊試験および破壊試験に係る様々な照射後試験技術がINPによって開発された。本報では、高燃焼度化TRISO燃料の照射後試験のために開発した技術並びに試験結果について中間報告する。