基于FRTAC程序的钠冷快堆燃料包壳失效模块开发及验证

Module Development and Verification for Fuel-pin Cladding Failure of Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor Based on System Code FRTAC

  • 摘要: 大面积包壳失效是严重事故的起点,因此对包壳失效准确预测具有重要意义。本文基于中国原子能科学研究院自主开发的FRTAC程序框架,综合考虑燃料和裂变产物等在热工、化学、辐射等多场作用下对包壳失效的影响,结合Larson-Miller寿命分数准则对包壳的失效进行预测,开发了可用于钠冷快堆氧化物燃料的包壳失效模块。选取FO-2、MK-I和CABRI-2等典型燃料棒实验开展了稳态模拟和事故分析。结果表明,稳态计算所得主要参数与实验值及其他系统程序计算值的相对误差较小,瞬态计算的相对误差在10%以内,各参数整体变化趋势符合良好,包壳失效时间和失效位置预测较准确,初步验证了所开发模块的可靠性,可为钠冷快堆燃料性能分析提供重要参考。

     

    Abstract: The inherent safety of reactor is emphasized in the design of sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs), and the performance analysis of oxide fuel plays a critical role in the safety assessment of SFRs, as fuel swelling and cladding failure are key phenomena occurring during the early stages of core disruptive accidents (CDAs). The time and location of fuel failure are strongly influenced by early irradiation effects. Therefore, developing a cladding failure module for oxide fuel that incorporates thermo-mechanical behavior under irradiation and relevant failure criteria is essential for understanding fuel response during accident scenarios. FRTAC is a system-level liquid metal fast reactor safety analysis code developed by China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), serves as the platform for implementing such a module. The integration of a dedicated cladding failure model into FRTAC enhances its capability to simulate fuel behavior under both steady-state and transient conditions, thereby supporting more accurate reactor safety evaluations and providing insights for fuel design improvements. To capture early irradiation effects, the developed module included models for fission gas release, fuel restructuring, mechanical behavior, and plenum pressure calculations, coupled with cladding failure criteria. The module was seamlessly integrated with the FRTAC code, enabling real-time data exchange without compromising its core functionality. Validation was conducted using representative fuel rod experiments such as FO-2, MK-I, and CABRI-2. The results show that under steady-state conditions, key parameters calculated by the module agree well with experimental data and other established codes, with relative errors within acceptable ranges. For transient scenarios, calculation errors are generally within 10%, and the trends of all parameters are consistent with expected physical behavior. The model also conservatively predicts cladding failure, providing safety margins. Overall, the results demonstrate that the developed cladding failure module can reliably simulate both steady-state and transient fuel behavior, making it offers strong support for accident safety evaluation in Chinese sodium-cooled fast reactor designs.

     

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