High temperature oxidation and room temperature axial strength of pre-oxidized zircaloy-4 cladding after a simulated LOCA

Jean Desquines (1) , Christian Duriez (1) , Severine Guilbert (1) , Tatiana Taurines (2)

1 IRSN/PSN-RES/SEREX/LE2M - Laboratoire d'Expérimentation en Mécanique et Matériaux
2 IRSN/PSN-RES/SEMIA/LEMC - Laboratoire d'étude et de modélisation du combustible

The influence of the nuclear fuel cladding pre-oxidation on post-LOCA quench resistance was experimentally studied and then modeled. Adopting a separate effect approach, quenched high temperature oxidized samples were axially loaded in a mechanical device. The pre-existing oxide layer shows a complex influence that was interpreted and modeled using a simple approach reproducing the main observed phenomena. A new correlation was established to evaluate the oxygen enriched alpha-phase thickness and the zirconia layer growth is analyzed and modeled. These models and correlations were implemented in a failure prediction model finally compared to experimental results.

Domaines: Sciences de l'ingénieur [physics]

Jean Desquines, Christian Duriez, Severine Guilbert, Tatiana Taurines. High temperature oxidation and room temperature axial strength of pre-oxidized zircaloy-4 cladding after a simulated LOCA. Journal of Nuclear Materials, 2020, 543, pp.152559. ⟨10.1016/j.jnucmat.2020.152559⟩. ⟨hal-03371773⟩