Insights into fuel behaviour during relatively fast thermal transients based on calculations for two tests of the Halden IFA-507 experiment

Abstract

Outcomes of the project “Comprehensive Verification of the FALCON Code for Calculation of Nuclear Fuel Temperature” relating to calculation of fuel temperature during relatively fast thermal transients are presented. Good prediction capabilities of the FALCON MOD01 code coupled with the GRSW-A code are shown as applied to the data of the TF3 and TF5 tests from the Transient Temperature Experiment IFA-507. The IFA-507 related dataset of the OECD/NEA International Fuel Performance Experiments (IFPE) Database is extended by the reconstructed dynamics of the axial power distribution in the rods during the transient phase of the experiment. Based on the code calculation, the time constant of the thermal fuel response to a power transient is estimated.