An Update of the Nuclear Fuel Behaviour Simulation under Loca Conditions with the TRANSURANUS Code

The paper gives an overview of the recent development and validation of the TRANSURANUS fuel performance code in the range of loss of coolant accident (LOCA) conditions. The applicability of the code was extended through the implementation of new correlations for steam oxidation, metallurgical phase transformation, plastic deformation and failure of Zircaloy-4 and Zr1%Nb (E110) claddings at high temperature up to 1200 oC. The large cladding deformation (ballooning) is handled through a time-dependent approach based on modified Norton strain rate relations which take into account the phase transition and, for Zr1%Nb, the oxygen uptake of the cladding, as well. The extended code was validated through numerous cladding burst experiments and applied for the simulation of integral LOCA tests.

GYOERI Csaba;  VAN UFFELEN Paul;  SCHUBERT Arndt;  VAN DE LAAR Jacques;  SPYKMAN G.;  HOZER Z.; 

2006-06-19

KERNTECHNISCHE GESELLSCHAFT

JRC33766

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC33766,