Modeling of the P2M Past Fuel Melting Experiments with the Fuel Performance Code FAST-1.0.1

Abstract

This paper presents the Fuel Analysis under Steady-state and Transient (FAST) code contribution to the P2M Simulation Exercise on past fuel melting irradiation experiments organized within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development/Nuclear Energy Agency’s Framework for Irradiated Experiments (FIDES). The benchmark consists of comparisons to two power ramps (xM-3 and HBC-4) that experienced fuel centerline melting. In general, FAST accurately captured the behavior of the fuel rods during the tests, though there are some notable discrepancies between the FAST results and the cladding elongation and fission gas release during the xM-3 power ramp.

Keywords:

• Fuel centerline melt

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the benchmark organizers at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) for providing the benchmark specifications, consolidating the results from the various benchmark participants, and leading the writing of the P2M benchmark synthesis paper (see Ref. 9).

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

^a The General Design Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants can be found in Title 10, Part 50, Appendix A of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations.

^b The 1.5-D approach is applicable for small deformations. In situations where large deformations are expected, such as during a loss-of-coolant accident where high cladding temperatures and large differential pressure between the inner and outer cladding surface are expected, the FEA model uses a two-dimensional axisymmetic approach.

^c Recall that no fission gas release or axial extension data are available for the transient portion of the HBC-4 test.