Abstract
The infuence of bum-up and fuel design parameter on the pellet-cladding interaction (PCI) of 8×8 BWR fuel was studied. Obtained results are as follows: (1)It is revealed that the PCI was enhanced with increase of burn-up and with decrease of diametral gap. (2)At burn-up of 15 MWd/kgU, a rod was subjccted power cycling to 826 times with range of 30-45kW/m with cycling period 20-25min. No failure occurred in the course of experiment. The PCI was elastic and caused repeatedly at every cycle. The magnitude of the PCI decreased with increasing cycles. It was revealed from PIE that there was little rod pressure difference between cycled and nontycled rod. The FP gas release rate between the rods was diffusion and dependent on square root of holding time at power. (3)The PCI failure was dependent on fuel burn-up. The failure threshold of this experiment was equal to or less than that of the rods ramped under HBWR condition. The rod failed by PCI showed little relaxation and accompanied significant reduction of axial elongation at the failure.
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