Assessment of the Influence of Surface Thermocouples on the Behavior of Nuclear Fuel Rods During a Large Break LOCA

摘要

A second series of thermocouple effects tests (TC-3) is being conducted in the Power Burst Facility (PBF) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). These tests are designed to evaluate the influence of external surface thermocouples on the behavior of nuclear fuel rods during a large break loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) experiment, which includes partial or total rod rewet during blowdown. Questions have been raised with regard to possible effects of surface thermocouples on the thermal behavior of in-pile and out-of-pile test rods. The TC-3 test series, currently being conducted at the PBF, is an extension of the TC-1 tests with four LOFT-type fuel rods contained in individual flow shrouds. The fuel rods are symmetrically positioned within a test train in the PBF in-pile tube in an environment similar to the LOFT test environment. (ERA citation 06:016860)