Fission products and nuclear fuel behaviour under severe accident conditions part 2: Fuel behaviour in the VERDON-1 sample

Within the framework of the International Source Term Programme (ISTP), the VERDON programme aims at quantifying the source term of radioactive materials in case of a hypothetical severe accident in a light water reactor (LWR). Tests were performed in a new experimental laboratory (VERDON) built in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of nuclear materials 2017-11, Vol.495, p.49-57
Main Authors: Geiger, E., Le Gall, C., Gallais-During, A., Pontillon, Y., Lamontagne, J., Hanus, E., Ducros, G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accident conditions
Alloys
Cladding
Fission products
Fuel behaviour
Fuel-cladding interactions
High temperature
Light water
Light water reactors
LWR
Nuclear accidents & safety
Nuclear energy
Nuclear Experiment
Nuclear fission
Nuclear fuels
Nuclear Theory
Occupational accidents
Physics
Post-test characterisations
Qualitative analysis
Radioactive materials
Relocation
Severe accident
Studies
UO2 irradiated fuel
VERDON tests
Zirconium dioxide
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Summary:Within the framework of the International Source Term Programme (ISTP), the VERDON programme aims at quantifying the source term of radioactive materials in case of a hypothetical severe accident in a light water reactor (LWR). Tests were performed in a new experimental laboratory (VERDON) built in the LECA-STAR facility (CEA Cadarache). The VERDON-1 test was devoted to the study of a high burn-up UO2 fuel and FP releases at very high temperature (≈2873 K) in a reducing atmosphere. Post-test qualitative and quantitative characterisations of the VERDON-1 sample led to the proposal of a scenario explaining the phenomena occurring during the experimental sequence. Hence, the fuel and the cladding may have interacted which led to the melting of UO2-ZrO2 alloy. Although no relocation was observed during the test, it may have been imminent. •The pore interconnection process began around 1773 K and increased with the temperature.•An interaction between the fuel and the cladding led to a partial melting of the fuel around 2873 K.
ISSN:0022-3115
1873-4820
DOI:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.08.002