CALCULATION OF STRESS AND DEFORMATION IN FUEL ROD CLADDING DURING PELLET-CLADDING INTERACTION

Abstract

The elementary parts of every fuel assembly, and thus of the reactor core, are fuel rods. The main function of cladding is hermetic separation of nuclear fuel from coolant. The fuel rod works in very specific and difficult conditions, so there are high requirements on its reliability and safety. During irradiation of fuel rods, a state may occur when fuel pellet and cladding interact. This state is followed by changes of stress and deformations in the fuel cladding. The article is focused on stress and deformation analysis of fuel cladding, where two fuels are compared: a fresh one and a spent one, which is in contact with cladding. The calculations are done for 4 different shapes of fuel pellets. It is possible to evaluate which shape of fuel pellet is the most appropriate in consideration of stress and deformation forming in fuel cladding, axial dilatation of fuel, and radial temperature distribution in the fuel rod, based on the obtained results.