Development of advanced expansion due to compression (A-EDC) test method for safety evaluation of degraded nuclear fuel cladding materials

作者：Abe, Hiroaki^*; Abe, Tomonori; Kishita, Shiori; Kano, Sho; Li, Yanfen; Yang, Huilong; Tawara, Kyosuke; Matsukawa, Yoshitaka; Satoh, Yuhki

来源：Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 2015, 52(10): 1232-1239.

DOI：10.1080/00223131.2015.1056560

• cladding
• zirconium alloy
• ring test
• expansion due to compression test (EDC test)
• mechanical property
• pellet-cladding mechanical interaction (PCMI)

Expansion due to compression (EDC) test has been applied to evaluate the performance of nuclear fuel claddings where pellet-cladding mechanical interaction (PCMI) is introduced by swelling of fuel pellets and is triggered by the larger hoop deformation of the pellets, especially during accidental transients. The purpose of this study is to modify the EDC test to describe PCMI, specimen volume reduction and others. Ring-shaped specimens were cut from Zry-4 cladding tubes. Cylindrical metal pellets with 8 mm in diameter and 15 mm in maximum height were used as inner pellets. Expansion of the specimens due to the inner pellet compression was performed at room temperature. The experimental data were further analyzed by finite element method. Through the survey in the variation of the specimen and core, specimen size and inner pellet geometry were optimized. Excellent reproducibility with less error was confirmed. The uniaxial tension condition in the hoop direction up to the specimen failure was confirmed. Hoop stress-hoop strain curves were successfully derived.

• 出版日期2015-10-3