乏燃料后处理首端激光剪切关键技术研究

<正>针对乏燃料后处理首端解体的需求,采用光纤激光器对Al_2O_3陶瓷芯块/不锈钢组件激光切割工艺、重铸层表面微观形貌及晶体结构等方面进行了研究。采用多组单因素实验,对比研究了激光功率、离焦量、切割速度对切割质量的影响规律,获得了针对此模拟棒件的最佳工艺参数为激光功率2.4kW、切割速度0.8 m/min、离焦量     

大晶粒UO2燃料芯块和试验燃料组件的设计与制造

本工作涉及大晶粒UO2燃料芯块的研究、试验燃料组件的设计与制造。所谓大晶粒是在UO2粉末中分别添加Al2O3／SiO2、Cr2O3粉末，烧结后形成了大晶粒UO2燃料芯块，它能有效降低裂变气体释放、减少燃料棒内压、减少芯块和包壳的PCI作用，     

俄耐事故燃料即将入堆测试

正【英国《国际核工程》网站2019年1月2日报道】俄罗斯核燃料产供集团(TVEL)旗下新西伯利亚化学浓缩厂(NCCP) 2018年12月27日宣布,已制造出适用于包括VVER在内的压水堆的耐事故燃料试验组件。试验组件中含有2种燃料芯块和2种包壳:燃料芯块分别是传统二氧化铀芯块和具有更高铀密度和导热性的铀钼合金芯块;包壳分别是带铬涂层的锆合金包壳和铬镍合金包壳。这些芯块和包壳组成了4种燃料棒。     

CEFR堆芯组件研制工作进展

2001年初,快堆工程部组织选厂,进行材料及组件研制,截至2001年11月底,已完成了热压碳化硼芯块、元件棒包壳管、六角形外套管、元件棒定位绕丝及核级固溶棒的试制,并加工了2组碳化硼屏蔽组件、2个不锈钢反射层组件的管脚,供堆外水力学和结构稳定性试验用,3根碳化硼元件棒供堆内快中子辐照用。试制取得了成功。 快堆堆芯组件结构材料为核级316（Ti）不锈钢,化学成分要求严格,金相组织要求高,六角管及包壳管的尺寸精度高,表面质量高,几乎无缺陷。碳化硼芯块为核级,在化学成分、密度、晶粒度、尺寸公差、碳硼比等方面要求亦很高。经上钢五厂、上海异型钢管厂、上海钢研所及中南大学粉冶所的努力,生产出了合乎质量要求的产品。     

堆内考验燃料组件设计

4×4—4压水堆燃料组件用于验证国产化燃料棒的堆内性能。燃料组件中包括了目前压水堆标准化燃料棒、高性能燃料棒和双金属定位格架。高性能燃料棒采用了衬锆包壳管和环形芯块,以便减小芯块-包壳相互作用和降低燃料温度,从而降低裂变气体释放率。预计标准化燃料棒中,最高棒平均燃耗可达到45GW·d/tU,高性能燃料棒达到60GW·d/tU。     

韩国的高燃耗燃料技术

高燃耗燃料开发是韩国的国家级研发项目,涉及包壳、UO2芯块、定位格架、性能评估程序和燃料组件测试等关键技术领域。经过合金成分设计、制管、堆外和堆内试验,新的包壳合金被开发出来。由于新合金采用了优化的成分和热处理工艺,这种新型Zr-Nb管的抗腐蚀能力和蠕变强度远优于ZrO4管。氧化铀芯块的大晶粒制造技术使用了不同氧化铀晶种和微量掺杂的铝。通过对氧化铀芯块的碎片进行氧化和热处理获得UO2晶种,然后将其加入UO2粉末中。通过制造含有W通道的UO2芯块来提高热导率。为了分析燃料性能,建立了新的高燃耗模型和相应的程序。该程序经过了国际数据库和我们自己数据库的验证。开发的定位格架有波浪形接触弹簧和搅混翼。力学和水力测试表明该格架在棒支撑、耐磨性、临界热流密度等方面都有良好表现。最后,研发了燃料组件测试技术,建造了力学和热工水力测试装置,已投入使用。不久以后,这些成果都将被用于韩国核燃料计划,提高韩国压水堆的安全性和经济性。     

俄继续开展耐事故燃料测试

正【英国《国际核工程》网站2021年5月4日报道】俄罗斯博奇瓦尔无机材料研究所(VNIINM)2021年4月29日宣布计划在年底完成耐事故燃料试验组件的第三个辐照周期测试。俄2019年1月在核反应堆研究所(RIAR)MIR研究堆中启动对首批两个耐事故燃料试验组件的辐照测试。两个组件由新西伯利亚化学浓缩厂(NCCP)制造,含有2种燃料芯块和2种包壳:燃料芯块分别是传统二氧化铀芯块和具有更高铀密度和导热性的铀钼合金芯块;包壳分别是带铬涂层的锆合金包壳和铬镍合金包壳。     

大晶粒UO2燃料芯块堆内试验组件的研制

为了开发高性能的压水堆燃料,研制了大晶粒燃料芯块。试验燃料芯块具有高的235U富集度、小直径和大晶粒尺寸的特点。通过堆内辐照试验可以对不同制造工艺的燃料芯块进行评价和筛选,以便确定燃料制造工艺。为了在中国原子能科学研究院池式研究堆中随堆考验,设计了一种试验组件,包含四根双包壳的燃料棒。双包壳燃料棒是在外包壳内装入两根单包壳燃料棒。试验组件直接由反应堆一次循环水冷却,不设专门的冷却回路。试验组件上安装了多种堆芯测量传感器,包括燃料中心温度热电偶、自给能中子探测器和冷却剂出、入口温度热电偶,可以在线监测燃料试验参数。描述了大晶粒UO2燃料芯块的研制、试验燃料组件的研制和检验。     

美启动EnCore燃料在商业机组的辐照测试

正【美国西屋公司网站2019年9月5日报道】美国西屋公司(Westinghouse) 2019年9月5日宣布,首批两个含有En Core燃料棒的先导试验组件已装入拜伦2号机组堆芯。此次装入拜伦2号机组堆芯的先导组件含有铬涂层包壳、高密度ADOPT芯块(掺有氧化铬和氧化铝的二氧化铀芯块)和硅化铀芯块。     

次临界或低功率启动工况下提棒事故分析

由于控制棒抽出引起堆芯内反应性失控增加,从而导致核功率剧增的事故定义为一组控制棒组件抽出事故。这种瞬态可能是反应堆控制系统或棒控系统失灵引起的。多普勒负反应性反馈效应能在保护动作延迟的时间内将功率限制在可接受的水平。该事故中,燃料棒表面可能发生偏离泡核沸腾(departure from nucleate boiling,简称DNB),导致燃料元件包壳烧毁;燃料芯块也可能发生熔化,对包壳产生不利影响。文章对岭澳混合堆芯和提高富集度论证次临界或低功率启动工况下提棒事故进行了分析。分析结果表明,事故瞬态中不会发生燃料芯块熔化或燃料元件包壳烧毁,可以保证燃料元件的完整性,燃料设计满足限制准则。     

Design and Manufacture of Large Grained UO2 Pellets and Test Assembly

This paper introduces design and manufacture of fuel assembly for UO2 pellets irradiation program. The advanced UO2 pellet is large grained and is sintered with addictives of Al2O3/SiO2/Cr2O3. It will decrease the release rate of fission gas, reduce the PCI and inner pressure of the fuel rods, in result it will increase discharge bumup and extend loading period of fuel rod. The performance of large grain pellet must be proved through in-pile test.     

Pellet compliance model based on out-of-pile simulation

The thermal and mechanical behavior of fuel rods is significantly influenced by the extent of their relocation and by compliance of the cracked pellets. Movement of the cracked pellet pieces towards the cladding results in softer pellets with crack voids which accommodate some fraction of the thermoelastic pellet deformation and make the pellet more compliant under the restraint of the cladding. It is difficult to model such a pellet compliance independently of experimental observations because the cracked pellet behavior is uncertain by nature.Electrically heated simulation of pellet-cladding mechanical interaction (PCMI) facilitates much quicker and more flexible experimentation than actual in-pile tests. Testing apparatus consists of the simulated fuel rod with hollow UO₂ pellets and a tungsten rod in the center, and a diameter measuring device including three pairs of diameter sensors. Test parameters include the pellet-cladding gap and the cladding thickness. Results show that rods with a smaller gap have a larger increasing rate of cladding diameter. This suggests that a group of cracked pellet pieces induced by thermal stress has an apparent compliance which increases with pellet-cladding gap. Results also show more sensitivity to cladding thickness than those calculated assuming pellets having intrinsic stiffness. This also suggests the compliant nature of cracked pellets.Such a compliant nature can almost be described by reducing the elasticity of the pellet. A simple pellet compliance model was obtained by fitting calculations with measurements to describe a cracked pellet as a uniform axisymmetric body with apparent elasticity.     

Principle of rationalizing the criteria for abnormal transients of the Super LWR with fuel rod analyses

A detailed fuel rod design is carried out for the first time in the development of Supercritical-pressure Light Water Reactor (Super LWR). The fuel rod design is similar to that of LWR, consisting of UO₂ pellets, a gas plenum and a Stainless Steel Cladding. The principle of rationalizing the criteria for abnormal transients of the Super LWR is developed. The fuel rod integrities can be assured by preventing plastic strains on the cladding, preventing the cladding buckling collapse, and keeping the pellet centerline temperature below its melting point. The FEMAXI-6 fuel analysis code is used to evaluate the fuel rod integrities in abnormal transient conditions. Detailed analyses have shown that allowable limits to the maximum fuel rod power and maximum cladding temperature can be determined to assure the fuel integrities. These limits may be useful in the plant safety analyses to confirm the fuel integrities during abnormal transients.     

FARST — A computer code for the evaluation of FBR fuel rod behavior under steady-state/transient conditions

FARST, a computer code for the evaluation of fuel rod thermal and mechanical behavior under steady-state/transient conditions has been developed. The code characteristics are summarized as follows:

1. (i) FARST evaluates the fuel rod behavior under the transient conditions. The code analyzes thermal and mechanical phenomena within a fuel rod, taking into account the temperature change in coolant surrounding the fuel rod.

2. (ii) Permanent strains such as plastic, creep and swelling strains as well as thermoelastic deformations can be analyzed by using the strain increment method.

3. (iii) Axial force and contact pressure which act on the fuel stack and cladding are analyzed based on the stick/slip conditions.

4. (iv) FARST used a pellet swelling model which depends on the contact pressure between pellet and cladding, and an empirical pellet relocation model, designated as “jump relocation model”.

The code was successfully applied to analyses of the fuel rod irradiation data from pulse reactor for nuclear safety research in Cadarache (CABRI) and pulse reactor for nuclear safety research in Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (NSRR).The code was further applied to stress analysis of a 1000 MW class large FBR plant fuel rod during transient conditions. The steady-state model which was used so far gave the conservative results for cladding stress during overpower transient, but underestimated the results for cladding stress during a rapid temperature decrease of coolant.     

Uranium dioxide properties for LWR fuel rods

Uranium dioxide pellets have become the most important nuclear fuel, and will remain so far a long time, with the fissile isotope ²³⁵U being replaced by PuO₂ additions. This does not significantly change the pellet properties.Uranium dioxide properties affect fuel rod performance more than previously anticipated, because UO₂ pellets show a distinct response to irradiation, and because of mechanical and chemical interaction with cladding. Here elastic and plastic behaviour, fracturing, irradiation densification, and dimensional behaviour under steady and power cycling conditions are mainly covered.     

Reversal bending fatigue test system for investigating vibration integrity of spent nuclear fuel during transportation

Transportation packages for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) must meet safety requirements under normal and accident conditions as specified by federal regulations. During transportation, SNF experiences unique conditions and challenges to cladding integrity due to the vibrational and impact loading during road or rail shipment. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been developing testing capabilities that can be used to improve the understanding of the impacts on SNF integrity due to vibration loading, especially for high burn-up SNF in normal transportation operation conditions. This information can be used to meet the nuclear industry and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission needs in the area of safety and security of SNF storage and transportation operations. The ORNL developed test system can perform reversal bending fatigue testing to evaluate both the static and dynamic mechanical response of SNF rods under simulated loads. The testing apparatus is also designed to meet the challenges of hot cell operation, including remote installation and detachment of the SNF test specimen, in situ test specimen deformation measurement, and implementation of a driving system suitable for use in a hot cell. The system contains a U frame set-up equipped with uniquely designed grip rigs to protect the SNF rod sample and to ensure valid test results, and uses three specially designed linear variable differential transformers to obtain the in situ curvature measurement. A variety of surrogate test rods have been used to develop and calibrate the test system as well as in performing a series of systematic cyclic fatigue tests. The surrogate rods include stainless steel (SS) cladding, SS cladding with cast epoxy and SS cladding with alumina pellet inserts simulating fuel pellets. Testing to date has shown that the interface bonding between the SS cladding and the alumina pellets has a significant impact on the bending response of the test rods as well as their fatigue strength. The failure behaviours observed from tested surrogate rods provide a fundamental understanding of the underlying failure mechanisms of the SNF surrogate rod under vibration, which has not been achieved previously. The newly developed device is scheduled to be installed in the hot cell in summer 2013 to test high burn-up SNF.     

Elastic and viscoplastic pellets fragmentation modeling using an axisymmetrical 1D finite element code

During first rise to power in Power Water Reactor, fuel pellets crack because of thermal expansion. The phenomena of pellet cracking and fragments relocation have a major influence on rod behaviour and especially on the cladding behaviour in the case of pellet–cladding interaction.This article presents the modeling used to take into account the fragmented state of the pellet in the EDF fuel rod thermo-mechanical code, CYRANO3^®. The aim is to simulate more realistic stress and strain fields in the pellet.The investigated method consists in adding parameters in the 1D finite elements calculations in order to integrate the multi-dimensional fragmentation effects in the axisymmetrical 1D code CYRANO3^®. These parameters modify the material behaviour by describing the fuel as an anisotropic damaged material. The modeling accounts for the opening and closing of radial pellet cracks. It has been implemented in the code for elastic and viscoplastic fuel behaviours.     

Determination of stress within ZIRCALOY cladding due to pellet-cladding interaction

A precise calculation of the stress distribution within the Zircaloy cladding of a water-cooled reactor fuel rod subjected to a power increase is a complex problem which, in general, requires a computer code to integrate the behaviour of both the fuel and cladding. This paper develops a simplified model which decouples the clad and fuel pellet analyses, by considering two extremes of fuel pellet mechanical behaviour, which lead to two widely different boundary conditions at the pellet-clad interface. An axisymmetric fuel rod code can be used to give the mean cladding hoop strain imposed by the thermal expansion of the pellet, and when the interfacial friction coefficient is 0.5, this information along with the frictional boundary condition can be used to determine the stress distribution within the cladding near a fuel pellet crack. Results from this simplified approach, which does not involve an integrated code, are used to study the growth of stress corrosion cracks within the cladding.     

芯块年龄对燃料棒富集度检测的影响研究

为保证核电站运行安全,反应堆装入核燃料组件的²³⁵U富集度具有严格的设计要求。因此,反应堆燃料棒均必须经过100%富集度及装料均匀性无损检测。已有富集度检测包括有源法和无源法,通过对有源法、无源法两种富集度检测方法中UO₂芯块年龄现象的研究,发现有源检测法在较低活度下,受UO₂芯块年龄影响,使得燃料棒富集度无法正确检测,需采用被动放置等待的方式解决芯块年龄问题。无源法可在检测中直接校正芯块年龄,满足生产检测要求,已得到工程化应用。