Extension and application of the TRANSURANUS code to normal operation conditions of the MYRRHA reactor

This work deals with the performance analysis of the MYRRHA hottest fuel pin in normal operating conditions, employing the TRANSURANUS fuel performance code, with the aim of assessing the current design specifications considering pragmatic design limits. To allow simulation of the MYRRHA pin behaviour, TRANSURANUS is extended with new correlations for the creep and void swelling response of the specific cladding material (DIN1.4970). The analysis of the best-estimate reference scenario is complemented by a sensitivity analysis on the models describing fuel and cladding phenomena and properties, determining those which most affect the pin performance results and identifying the worst-case scenarios. The simulation outcomes point out the high level of safety related to the MYRRHA fuel pin performance in normal operating conditions, which keeps far from any design or critical limit, even in the most challenging (worst-case) scenarios.

MAGNI A.;  BARANI Tommaso;  BELLONI Francesco;  BOER Brian;  GUIZZARDI E.;  PIZZOCRI Davide;  SCHUBERT Arndt;  VAN UFFELEN Paul;  LUZZI Lelio; 

2022-01-04

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA

JRC124660

0029-5493 (online),   

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0029549321005331?via%3Dihub,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC124660,   

10.1016/j.nucengdes.2021.111581 (online),