Analysis of mechanical load on cladding induced by fuel swelling during power ramp in high burn-up rod by fuel performance code FEMAXI-6

Mechanical load on cladding induced by fuel swelling in a high burn-up BWR type rod was analyzed by a fuel performance code FEMAXI-6. The code was developed for the analysis of LWR fuel rod behaviors in normal operation and transient conditions using finite element method (FEM). During a power ramp for the high burn-up rod, instantaneous pellet swelling can significantly exceed the level that is predicted by a "steady-rate" swelling model, causing a large circumferential strain in cladding. This phenomenon was simulated by a new swelling model to take into account the fission gas bubble growth. As a result it was found that the new model can give reasonable predictions on cladding diameter expansion in comparison with PIE data. The bubble growth model assumes that the equilibrium state equation holds for a bubble under external pressure, and simultaneous solution is obtained with both bubble size determination equation and diffusion equation of fission gas atoms. In addition, a pellet-clad bonding model which has been incorporated in the code to assume solid mechanical coupling between pellet outer surface and cladding inner surface predicted the generation of bi-axial stress state in the cladding during ramp. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.