Quenching Experiments with CrAl-coated Zircaloy Cladding in Reflooding Water Flows

Wang Kee In and Kwan Geun Lee
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Wang Kee In: Innovative SMR Development, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 989-111 Daedeok-daero, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon 34057, Korea
Kwan Geun Lee: Innovative SMR Development, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 989-111 Daedeok-daero, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon 34057, Korea

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-17

Abstract: A quenching experiment is performed to investigate the heat transfer characteristics and cooling performance of CrAl-coated Zircaloy (Zr) cladding in a water flow. The CrAl-coated Zr cladding is one of the accident tolerant fuels for light water reactors. The uncoated Zr cladding is also used in this quenching experiment for comparison. This experiment simulates reflood quenching of fuel rod during loss of coolant accident (LOCA) in nuclear power plant. The test conditions were determined to represent the peak cladding temperature, the coolant subcooling and the reflood velocity in the event of LOCA. The flow visualization showed the film boiling during early stage of reflood quenching and the transition to nucleate boiling. The film layer decreases as the coolant subcooling increases and becomes wavy as the reflood velocity increases. The CrAl-coated Zr cladding showed more wavy and thinner film than the uncoated Zr cladding. The rewetting temperature increases as the initial wall temperature and/or the coolant subcooling increases. The quench front velocity increases significantly as the coolant subcooling increases. The reflood velocity has a negligible effect on rewetting temperature and quench front velocity.

Keywords: quenching; reflood; CrAl-coated Zr; cladding; quench curve; rewetting temperature; speed of quench front (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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