• 한국방사성폐기물학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2018년도 추계학술논문요약집
• /
• pp.121-122
• /
• 2018

• 한국방사성폐기물학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2018년도 추계학술논문요약집
• /
• pp.123-124
• /
• 2018

• 한국방사성폐기물학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2018년도 추계학술논문요약집
• /
• pp.125-126
• /
• 2018

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제56권6호
• /
• pp.1975-1988
• /
• 2024

It is important to maintain cladding integrity in spent nuclear fuel management. This study proposes a numerical analysis method to evaluate the fracture resistance of irradiated zirconium alloy cladding under pinch load known to cause Mode-III failure. The mechanical behavior and fracture of the cladding under pinch loading can be evaluated by a Ring Compression Test (RCT). To simulate the fracture of hydride precipitates, zirconium matrix, and Zr/hydride interfaces under the stress field generated by RCT, a micro-structure crack propagation simulation method based on Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM) has been proposed. Our RCT simulation model was constructed from microscopic images of irradiated cladding. In this study, we developed an automated process to generate a pixel-based finite element model by separating the hydride precipitates, zirconium matrix, and interfaces using an image segmentation method. The appropriate element size was selected to ensure the efficiency and accuracy of a crack propagation simulation. The load-displacement curves and strain energies from RCT were compared and analyzed with the simulation results of different element sizes. The finalized RCT simulation model can be used to establish the failure criterion of fuel rods under pinch loading. The advantages and limitations of the proposed method are fully discussed here.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제50권2호
• /
• pp.246-252
• /
• 2018

A series of simulated reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) tests on irradiated fully recrystallized boiling water reactor Zircaloy-2 cladding has been performed by means of the expansion-due-to-compression (EDC) test method. The EDC method reproduces fuel pellet-clad mechanical interaction (PCMI) conditions for the cladding during RIA transients with respect to temperature and loading rates by out-of-pile mechanical testing. The tested materials had a large variation in burnup and hydrogen content (up to 907 wppm). The results of the EDC tests showed variation in the PCMI resistance of claddings with similar burnup and hydrogen content, making it difficult to clearly identify ductile-to-brittle transition temperatures. The EDC-tested samples of the present and previous work were investigated by light optical and scanning electron microscopy to study the influence of factors such as azimuthal variation of the Zr-hydrides and the presence of hydride rims and radially oriented hydrides. Two main characteristics were identified in samples with low ductility with respect to hydrogen content and test temperature: hydride rims and radial hydrides at the cladding outer surface. Crack propagation and failure modes were also studied, showing two general modes of crack propagation depending on distribution and amount of radially oriented hydrides. It was concluded that the PCMI resistance of irradiated cladding under normal conditions with homogenously distributed circumferential hydrides is high, with good margin to the RIA failure limits. To further improve safety, focus should be on conditions causing nonfavorable hydride distribution, such as hydride reorientation and formation of hydride blisters at the cladding outer surface.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제49권8호
• /
• pp.1740-1747
• /
• 2017

To investigate allowable peak cladding temperature and hoop stress for maintenance of cladding integrity during interim-dry storage and subsequent transport, zirconium alloy cladding tubes were hydrogen-charged to generate 250 ppm and 500 ppm hydrogen contents, simulating spent nuclear fuel degradation. The hydrogen-charged specimens were heated to four peak temperatures of $250^{\circ}C$, $300^{\circ}C$, $350^{\circ}C$, and $400^{\circ}C$, and then cooled to room temperature at cooling rates of $0.3^{\circ}C/min$ under three tensile hoop stresses of 80 MPa, 100 MPa, and 120 MPa. The cool-down specimens showed that high peak heat-up temperature led to lower hydrogen content and that larger tensile hoop stress generated larger radial hydride fraction and consequently lower plastic elongation. Based on these out-of-pile cladding tube test results only, it may be said that peak cladding temperature should be limited to a level < $250^{\circ}C$, regardless of the cladding hoop stress, to ensure cladding integrity during interim-dry storage and subsequent transport.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제50권2호
• /
• pp.306-312
• /
• 2018

There is an increasing need in the United States and around the world to move used nuclear fuel from wet storage in fuel pools to dry storage in casks stored at independent spent fuel storage installations or interim storage sites. Under normal conditions, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission limits cladding temperature to $400^{\circ}C$ for high-burnup (>45 GWd/mtU) fuel, with higher temperatures allowed for low-burnup fuel. An analysis was conducted with FRAPCON-4.0 on three modern fuel designs with three representative used nuclear fuel storage temperature profiles that peaked at $400^{\circ}C$. Results were representative of the majority of US light water reactor fuel. They conservatively showed that hoop stress remains below 90 MPa at the licensing temperature limit. Results also show that the limiting case for hoop stress may not be at the highest rod internal pressure in all cases but will be related to the axial temperature and oxidation profiles of the rods at the end of life and in storage.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
• /
• 제11권4호
• /
• pp.333-349
• /
• 2013

최근 국내에서도 원전 부지 내에 건설된 습식저장조의 용량이 곧 포화될 것으로 예상되어 사용후핵연료의 건식저장에 관한 논의가 활발하다. 이 논문에서는 앞으로 다양하게 논의될 저장시스템의 안전성과 함께 장기 건식저장 시 발생하는 사용후핵연료의 특성 및 건전성 변화에 대해 이제까지 국내외에서 연구 보고된 내용들을 면밀히 검토하고 향후 추구해야 할 연구방향을 제시하고자 하였다. 조사 결과 건식저장 기간 동안 진행될 수 있는 여러 피복관 열화기구 중에서 가장 대표적인 기구는 크립 변형과 수소화물에 의한 영향이었으며, 이들이 사용후핵연료 장기 건식저장 시 규제기술기준의 주요 근간을 이루고 있는 것으로 분석되었다. 한편 과거에는 피복관의 크립 변형이 가장 중요한 열화기구로 평가되었으나, 최근의 연구 결과를 통해 수소화물에 의한 영향이 더 심각한 것으로 드러났고 이는 미국의 규제기준과 새로운 온도 범위를 제시하고 있는 일본의 규제기준에서 확인할 수 있었다. 그러나, 아직까지 수소화물에 의한 영향이 발생하는 응력과 온도 조건을 명확히 규명할 수 있는 연구 자료가 충분하지 못하며, 나아가 사용후핵연료의 취급 시 거동에 대한 연구도 지속적으로 수행해야 할 부분으로 드러났다. 따라서 국내 사용후핵연료 특성에 맞는 건식저장조건을 수립하기 위해서는 국내에서도 본격적인 연구를 통해 이들 자료에 대한 충분한 생산과 평가 및 분석이 뒤따라야 할 것으로 판단된다.