Quantitative Assessment of the Instant Release Fraction (IRF) for Fission Gases and Volatile Elements as a Function of Burnup and Time under Geological Disposal Conditions

2003 ◽  
Vol 807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cécile Ferry ◽  
Patrick Lovera ◽  
Christophe Poinssot ◽  
Lawrence Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Failure Time ◽  
Solid State Chemistry ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Volatile Elements ◽  
Enhanced Diffusion ◽  
Labile Fraction ◽  
Fission Gas ◽  
Leaching Experiments ◽  
Fission Gas Release ◽  
Α Activity

ABSTRACTThe Instant Release Fraction at container failure time, IRF(t), is here considered as being the sum of (i) the initial labile fraction, corresponding to the sum of gap and grain boundary inventories of certain radionuclides on exit from the reactor, with a further possible contribution from segregation in the rim region and (ii) the time-dependent fraction of radionuclides accumulating at grain boundaries due to a self-irradiation enhanced diffusion through the grains. The initial labile fraction of radionuclides such as 14C, 36Cl, 79Se, 129I, and 135Cs has been estimated based on leaching experiments, post-irradiation fission gas release measurements and studies of solid-state chemistry of spent fuel, along with estimates of fission product segregation in the rim zone. The contribution of the a self-irradiation enhanced diffusion has also been estimated based on a diffusion coefficient decreasing with time proportionally with the volume α-activity of the spent fuel. Its contribution to the IRF is limited for UO2 fuels. The proposed bounding values of the IRF for fuel with a burnup of 55 GWd/tIHM for 14C, 36Cl, 79Se, 129I, and 135Cs are 11 % at t=0 and close to 15 % at a container failure time of 10,000 y.

Powder Leaching Study for Grain Boundary Inventory of Two High Burnup Fuels

MRS Advances ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (17-18) ◽  
pp. 981-986
Author(s):  
Alexandre Barreiro Fidalgo ◽  
Olivia Roth ◽  
Anders Puranen ◽  
Lena Z. Evins ◽  
Kastriot Spahiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Boundary ◽  
Grain Boundaries ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Fission Gas ◽  
Leaching Solution ◽  
Significant Release ◽  
Leaching Experiments ◽  
High Burnup ◽  
Fission Gas Release

ABSTRACTIn the context of safety assessment, the fraction of inventory that is expected to rapidly dissolve when water contacts the spent fuel is called the Instant Release Fraction (IRF). Conceptually, this fraction consists of radionuclides outside of the uranium dioxide matrix and therefore the fraction can be further divided into the radionuclides in the fuel/cladding gap and radionuclides in the grain boundaries. The relative importance of these two fractions is investigated here for two Swedish high burnup fuels through simultaneous grinding and leaching fuel fragments in simplified groundwater for a short period of time. The hypothesis is that this will expose grain boundaries to leaching solution and provide an estimate of the release of the grain boundary inventory upon contact with water. The studied fragments were used in previous leaching experiments and thus pre-washed to remove any pre-oxidized phases. The results showed a significant release of iodine, cesium and rubidium and to a lower extent molybdenum and technetium. The fraction of inventory in the aqueous phase of actinides and lanthanides was 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than for the elements associated to the IRF. Both fuels displayed a very similar behavior and no correlation as a function of burnup or fission gas release was found.

RN Fractional Release of High Burn-Up Fuel: Effect of HBS and Estimation of Accessible Grain Boundary

2008 ◽  
Vol 1107 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Clarens ◽  
D. Serrano-Purroy ◽  
A. Martínez-Esparza ◽  
D. Wegen ◽  
E. Gonzalez-Robles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Boundary ◽  
Correction Factor ◽  
Core Sample ◽  
Gas Release ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Fission Gas ◽  
Leaching Experiments ◽  
Fission Gas Release ◽  
Fractional Release ◽  
Number Of Particles

AbstractThe so-called Instant Release Fraction (IRF) is considered to govern the dose released from Spent Fuel repositories. Often, IRF calculations are based on estimations of fractions of inventory release based in fission gas release [1]. The IRF definition includes the inventory located within the Gap although a conservative approach also includes both the Grain Boundary (GB) and the pores of restructured HBS inventories.A correction factor to estimate the fraction of Grain Boundary accessible for leaching has been determined and applied to spent fuel static leaching experiments carried out in the ITU Hot Cell facilities [2]. Experimental work focuses especially on the different properties of both the external rim area (containing the High Burn-up Structure (HBS)) and the internal area, to which we will refer as Out and Core sample, respectively. Maximal release will correspond to an extrapolation to simulate that all grain boundaries or pores are open and in contact with solution.The correction factor has been determined from SEM studies taking into account the number of particles with HBS in Out sample, the porosity of HBS particles, and the amount of transgranular fractures during sample preparation.

Inventories of Iodine-129 and Cesium-137 in the Gaps and Grain Boundaries of LWR Spent Fuels

1999 ◽  
Vol 556 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Gray
Keyword(s):  
Grain Boundary ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Yucca Mountain ◽  
Light Water Reactor ◽  
Gas Release ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Fission Gas ◽  
Geologic Disposal ◽  
Cesium 137 ◽  
Fission Gas Release

AbstractPerformance assessment calculations that support geologic disposal of spent nuclear fuel in a potential repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, are based in part on the assumption that 2% of the total inventories of 135Cs, 129I, and 99Tc are located in the gap and grain-boundary regions where they could dissolve rapidly if the spent fuel were to be contacted by groundwater. Actual measured values reported here for a few light-water reactor (LWR) spent fuels show that the combined gap and grain-boundary inventories of 129I approximately equaled the fission-gas release fractions. For 137Cs, the combined gap and grain-boundary inventories were approximately one third of the fission-gas release fractions. These measured values can be used to replace the 2% estimate and thus reduce the uncertainties in the calculations.

Effects of matrix composition on instant release fractions from high burn-up nuclear fuel

2013 ◽  
Vol 1518 ◽  
pp. 145-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia Roth ◽  
Jeanett Low ◽  
Michael Granfors ◽  
Kastriot Spahiu
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Fission Products ◽  
Matrix Composition ◽  
Initial Contact ◽  
Gas Release ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Rapid Release ◽  
Fission Gas ◽  
Fission Gas Release

ABSTRACTThe release of radionuclides from spent nuclear fuel in contact with water is controlled by two processes – the dissolution of the UO2 grains and the rapid release of fission products segregated either to the gap between the fuel and the cladding or to the UO2 grain boundaries. The rapid release is often referred to as the Instant Release Fraction (IRF) and is of interest for the safety assessment of geological repositories for spent fuel due to the potential dose contribution.Previous studies have shown that the instant release fraction can be correlated to the fission gas release (FGR) from the spent fuel. Studies comparing results from samples in the form of pellets, fragments, powders and a fuel rodlet have shown that the sample preparation has a significant impact on the instant release, indicating that the differentiation between gap release and grain boundary release should be further explored.Today, there are trends towards power uprates, longer fuel cycles and increasing burn-up putting additional requirements on the nuclear fuel. These requirements are met by the development of new fuel types, such as UO2 fuels containing dopants or additives. The additives and dopants affect fuel properties such as grain size and fission gas release. In the present study we have performed experimental leaching studies using two high burnup fuels with and without additives/dopants and compared the fuel types with respect to their instant release behavior. The results of the leaching of the samples for the 3 initial contact periods; 1, 7 and 23 days are reported here.

Fission Gas Release from Irradiated Uranium-Plutonium Nitride Fuel

Atomic Energy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 129 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-107
Author(s):  
A. F. Grachev ◽  
L. M. Zabud’ko ◽  
M. V. Skupov ◽  
F. N. Kryukov ◽  
V. G. Teplov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Release ◽  
Nitride Fuel ◽  
Fission Gas ◽  
Uranium Plutonium ◽  
Fission Gas Release

Fission gas release and swelling in uranium–plutonium mixed nitride fuels

2004 ◽  
Vol 327 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 77-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kosuke Tanaka ◽  
Koji Maeda ◽  
Kozo Katsuyama ◽  
Masaki Inoue ◽  
Takashi Iwai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Release ◽  
Fission Gas ◽  
Nitride Fuels ◽  
Uranium Plutonium ◽  
Fission Gas Release

Pellet-Cladding Interaction of LMFBR Fuel Elements at Unsteady State: An Introduction to Computer Code ISUNE-5

1981 ◽  
Vol 103 (4) ◽  
pp. 627-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. M. Ma
Keyword(s):  
Reactor Core ◽  
Fatigue Cracking ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
Fuel Burnup ◽  
Fuel Pellet ◽  
Gas Release ◽  
Unsteady State ◽  
Fission Gas ◽  
Fuel Elements ◽  
Fission Gas Release

The fuel pellet-cladding interaction (PCI) of liquid-metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) fuel elements or fuel rods at unsteady state is analyzed and discussed based on experimental results. In the analyses, the heat generation, fuel restructuring, temperature distribution, gap conductance, irradiation swelling, irradiation creep, fuel burnup, fission gas release, fuel pellet cracking, crack healing, cladding cracking, yield failure and fracture failure of the fuel elements are taken into consideration. To improve the sintered (U,Pu)O2 fuel performance and reactor core safety at high temperature and fuel burnup, it is desirable to (a) increase and maintain the ductility of cladding material, (b) provide sufficient gap thickness and plenum space for accommodating fission gas release, (c) keep ramps-power increase rate slow and gentle, and (d) reduce the intensity and frequency of transient PCI in order to avoid intense stress fatigue cracking (SFC) and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) due to fission product compounds CsI, CdI2, Cs2Te, etc. at the inner cladding surface of the fuel elements during PCI.

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