SOME PROBLEMS OF STRESS WAVE PRODUCTIONnENCOUNTERED IN THE STUDY OF PULSED FAST REACTOR DYNAMICS

摘要

This paper considers two wave generation problems arising in pulsed fast reactor dynamics studies.nThe first problem is that of the thermo-elastic response of the fuel element and cladding due to the rapid fuel temperature rise during a pulse. A theory describing this response for any form of fuel temperature input is given and then applied to the special case of (a) a discontinuous temperature rise and (b) a ramp rise in temperature. It is proved that because of the short timescale of a pulse, the stresses developed in the fuel and cladding are insensitive to the detailed form of the temperature rise and can be calcula¬ted accurately by assuming a step function.