Engineered Zircaloy Cladding Modifications for Improved Accident Tolerance of LWR Fuel

工程锆合金包壳改进可提高轻水堆燃料的事故耐受性

• 批准号: EP/K034650/1
• 负责人: Michael Preuss
• 金额: $ 126.18万
• 依托单位: University of Manchester
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2013 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FK034650%2F1
• 关键词: Engineered; Zircaloy; Cladding; Modifications; Improved

This integrated research project aims to evaluate the modified Zircaloy LWR cladding performance under normal BWR/PWR operation and off-normal events. A combination of computational and experimental protocols will be employed to design and evaluate modified Zircaloy cladding with respect to corrosion and accelerated oxide growth, the former associated with normal operation, the latter associated with steam exposure during loss of coolant accidents (LOCAs) and low-pressure core refloods. Urania pellet modifications to improve thermal conductivity will be investigated as well, with the goal of reducing pellet temperature gradients, associated pellet swelling and pellet-cladding interaction (PCI), and fission product release. In addition, Pb-Bi eutectic liquid metal gap fillers will be investigated to promote pellet-cladding heat transfer. Both the cladding and pellet performance evaluations will be incorporated into a reactor system modelling effort of neutronics and thermal hydraulics, thereby providing a holistic approach to accident tolerant nuclear fuel. The proposed project brings together personnel, facilities, and capabilities across a wide range of technical areas relevant to the study of modified nuclear fuel and LWR performance during normal operation and off-normal scenarios. The proposed project leverages existing DOE NEUP support and extends collaborative activities from U.S. academia to U.S. industry, U.S. national laboratories, and to UK academia. Anticipated deliverables will be i) an experimental data base of modified cladding and pellet performance under normal BWR and PWR operational conditions and under off-normal LOCA conditions, ii) improved predictive capability of fuel performance codes, and iii) improved predictive capability of neutronics and thermal hydraulics performance codes. Two pathways toward accident tolerant LWR fuel are envisioned, both based on the modification of existing Zircaloy cladding. The first is the modification of the cladding surface by the application of a coating layer designed to shift the M+O to MO reaction away from oxide growth during steam exposure at elevated temperature. The second is the modification of the bulk cladding composition to promote precipitation of minor phase(s) during fabrication. These precipitates will be stable under normal operation, but dissolve during the temperature excursions; the migration of solute elements to the free surface would then shift the reaction away from oxide formation. Improved pellet thermal conductivity will act to limit cladding hoop stress via reduced fission gas gap pressure and PCI. A synergistic response of the fuel rod is anticipated in which the combined mitigation of brittle exothermic oxide formation, reduced cladding temperature, and reduced cladding stress lead to accident tolerance with respect to cladding failure.

该综合研究项目旨在评估改进的Zircaloy LWR包壳在正常BWR/PWR操作和非正常事件下的性能。将采用计算和实验协议的组合来设计和评估改进的Zircaloy包壳的腐蚀和加速氧化物生长，前者与正常操作相关，后者与冷却剂损失事故（LOCA）和低浓度事故期间的蒸汽暴露相关。压力核心再淹没。还将研究对铀弹丸进行改进以提高导热性，目的是减少弹丸温度梯度、相关弹丸膨胀和弹丸-包层相互作用（PCI）以及裂变产物释放。此外，还将研究铅-铋共晶液态金属间隙填料，以促进颗粒包覆传热。包壳和芯块性能评估都将纳入中子学和热工水力学的反应堆系统建模工作中，从而为容灾核燃料提供整体方法。拟议的项目汇集了与研究正常运行和非正常情况下改良核燃料和轻水堆性能相关的广泛技术领域的人员、设施和能力。拟议的项目利用现有的 DOE NEUP 支持，并将合作活动从美国学术界扩展到美国工业界、美国国家实验室和英国学术界。预期交付成果将是 i) 在正常 BWR 和 PWR 运行条件下以及非正常 LOCA 条件下改进包壳和芯块性能的实验数据库，ii) 改进的燃料性能代码的预测能力，以及 iii) 改进的中子学和热工水力性能规范。设想了两种获得耐事故轻水堆燃料的途径，两者都基于对现有锆合金包壳的修改。第一个是通过应用涂层来修改包壳表面，该涂层旨在将 M+O 到 MO 反应从高温蒸汽暴露期间的氧化物生长转移开。第二个是修改本体包层成分以促进制造过程中次要相的沉淀。这些沉淀物在正常操作下是稳定的，但在温度变化时会溶解；溶质元素迁移到自由表面将使反应远离氧化物形成。改进的颗粒热导率将通过降低裂变气隙压力和 PCI 来限制包壳环向应力。预期燃料棒的协同响应，其中脆性放热氧化物形成的综合缓解、包壳温度的降低和包壳应力的降低导致关于包壳失效的事故容限。

项目成果

Accelerated radiation damage test facility using a 5 MV tandem ion accelerator

使用 5 MV 串联离子加速器的加速辐射损伤测试设备

• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2015.09.088
• 发表时间: 2016
• 期刊: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
• 作者: Wady P

Evaluation of the interfacial shear strength and residual stress of TiAlN coating on ZIRLO™ fuel cladding using a modified shear-lag model approach

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.06.003
• 发表时间: 2015-11-01
• 期刊: JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS
• 影响因子: 3.1
• 作者: Liu, Y.;Bhamji, I.;Preuss, M.
• 通讯作者: Preuss, M.

Global optimum of microstructure parameters in the CMWP line-profile-analysis method by combining Marquardt-Levenberg and Monte-Carlo procedures

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmst.2019.01.014
• 发表时间: 2019-06
• 期刊: Journal of Materials Science & Technology
• 影响因子: 10.9
• 作者: G. Ribárik;B. Jóni;T. Ungár