Metrics for the Technical Performance Evaluation of Light Water Reactor Accident-Tolerant Fuel

Abstract

The safe, reliable, and economic operation of the nation's nuclear power reactor fleet has always been a top priority for the nuclear industry. Continual improvement of technology, including advanced materials and nuclear fuels, remains central to the industry's success. Enhancing the accident tolerance of light water reactors (LWRs) became a topic of serious discussion following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, resulting tsunami, and subsequent damage to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant complex. The overall goal for the development of accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) for LWRs is to identify alternative fuel system technologies to further enhance the safety, competitiveness, and economics of commercial nuclear power. Designed for use in the current fleet of commercial LWRs or in reactor concepts with design certifications (GEN-IIIϩ), fuels with enhanced accident tolerance would endure loss of active cooling in the reactor core for a considerably longer period of time than the current fuel system while maintaining or improving performance during normal operations. The complex multiphysics behavior of LWR nuclear fuel in the integrated reactor system makes defining specific material or design improvements difficult; as such, establishing desirable performance attributes is critical in guiding the design and development of fuels and cladding with enhanced accident tolerance. Research and development of ATF in the United States is conducted under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fuel Cycle Research and Development Advanced Fuels Campaign. The DOE is sponsoring multiple teams to develop ATF concepts within multiple national laboratories, universities, and the nuclear industry. Concepts under investigation offer both evolutionary and revolutionary changes to the current nuclear fuel system. This paper summarizes the technical evaluation methodology proposed in the United States to aid in the optimization and prioritization of candidate ATF designs.

Materials selection for nuclear applications: Challenges and opportunities

“…Four systems have been studied: 1) silicon-carbide (SiC)-based composites [16][17][18], 2) iron-chromium-aluminum (Fe-Cr-Al) alloys [19,[21][22][23], 3) coated zirconium [24], and 4) molybdenum (Mo) [25]. These four systems were chosen as balanced compromise among the application's requirements.…”

Iron-chrome-aluminum alloy cladding for increasing safety in nuclear power plants

“…2) [9]. That is, the concept for accident tolerant fuel rods must be able to perform as well as the current system under normal operation conditions in the order of 300-400°C cladding temperature (Step 1).…”

“…Step 5 is concerned about the condition of the fuel rods after their useful life in the reactor, if the bundles can be safely and integrally removed from the reactor to be securely stored in cooling pools for a period of 5 years or more, and how the rods will perform under dry cask storage for periods in the order of 100 years, before final disposition in a nuclear waste repository or reprocessing of the used fuel [9].…”

“…The aim of this document is to describe the maturity of the FeCrAl concept and the overall feasibility on the use of ferritic FeCrAl alloys as cladding for nuclear fuel in commercial light water reactors. GE and ORNL are following a methodical approach to evaluate metrics or performance attributes outlined by Bragg-Sitton et al [9]. Many other countries such as China, Japan, Korea, Belgium, etc.…”

Versatile Oxide Films Protect FeCrAl Alloys Under Normal Operation and Accident Conditions in Light Water Power Reactors

“…8 That is, under normal operation conditions, the cladding must do well in high-purity water at 288°C for BWRs and at 330°C for PWRs. The water may contain dissolved hydrogen for corrosion control.…”