Abstract
The loss of primary as well as emergency coolant flow causes the convective cooling of the fuel bundle to degrade, raising the temperature of the fuel channel. Secondary heat released by the Zr/steam chemical reaction heats the channel even more intensely. The present work examines the thermal behavior of a heated channel in an oxidizing environment. An experimental system was created to simulate the late phase of the accident scene. The Pressure Tube (PT) in the channel was configured to contact the Calandria Tube (CT) at the bottom, simulating sagging deformation. The simulation was performed using ANSYS Fluent software. The modeling of the effect of the Zr/steam chemical reaction was done by adding a heat source to the cladding. A comparison was made between the obtained results and the available results of the same channel configuration in a non-oxidizing environment. It was found that significant axial, as well as circumferential temperature gradients were developed in the channel compared to that obtained under a non-oxidizing environment.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call