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A segurança de instalações nucleares é uma preocupação mundial que tem crescido, sobretudo, após o acidente nuclear de Fukushima. O estudo de acidentes em reatores nucleares de pesquisa tal como o Acidente de Perda de Refrigerante (APR), considerado por muitas vezes um acidente base de projeto, é importante para garantir a integridade da instalação. O APR pode levar ao descobrimento parcial ou total do núcleo do reator e, como condição de segurança, deve-se garantir que haja a remoção do calor de decaimento dos elementos combustíveis. Esse trabalho teve o objetivo de realizar experimentos de descobrimento parcial e total no Elemento Combustível Instrumentado (ECI), construído no Instituto de Pesquisas Energética e Nucleares (IPEN), a fim de estudar os possíveis APRs em reatores de pesquisa. Uma seção de testes, denominada STAR, foi projetada e construída para simular os APRs. O ECI foi irradiado no núcleo do reator IEA-R1 (IPEN) e inserido na STAR, que ficou totalmente imersa na piscina do reator. No ECI, foram instalados termopares para medição das temperaturas do revestimento e do fluido em várias posições axiais e radiais. Foram realizados experimentos para cinco níveis de descobrimento do ECI, um total e quatro parciais, em duas condições distintas de calor de decaimento. Na análise dos resultados, verificou-se que os casos de descobrimento total foram os mais críticos, ou seja, as temperaturas do revestimento foram as maiores quando comparadas com os casos de descobrimentos parciais. Adicionalmente, foi realizada a simulação numérica de dois experimentos com o código RELAP5, cujos resultados demonstraram ótima concordância com os dos níveis experimentais, e temperaturas maiores que as experimentais. As máximas temperaturas do revestimento alcançadas em todos os experimentos ficaram bem abaixo da temperatura de empolamento do combustível, que é de 500°C. Assim, a STAR provou ser um aparato experimental seguro e confiável para a realização de experimentos de perda de refrigerante. / The safety of nuclear facilities has been a growing global concern mainly after the Fukushima nuclear accident. Studies on nuclear research reactor accidents such as the Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA), considered many times a design basis accident, are important for guaranteeing the integrity of the plant. A LOCA may lead to the partial or complete uncovering of the fuel assemblies and assured decay heat removal is a safety condition. This work aimed to perform partial and complete uncovering experiments in the Instrumented Fuel Assembly (IFA) designed at the Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN) in order to study possible LOCAs in research reactors. A test section for experimental simulation of Loss of Coolant Accident named STAR was designed and built. The IFA was irradiated in the IEA-R1 and installed in the STAR, which was totally immersed in the reactor pool. Thermocouples were installed in the IFA to measure the clad and fluid temperatures in several axial and radial positions. The experiments were carried out for five levels of uncovering of IFA, being one complete uncovering and four partial uncovering, in two different conditions of decay heat. In the results analysis was observed that the cases of complete uncovering of the IFA were the most critical ones, that is, those cases presented higher clad temperatures when compared with partial uncovering cases. Additionally, a numerical simulation of two experiments was carried out by using the RELAP 5 code. The numerical results showed an optimum agreement with the experimental levels results and greater than the experimental temperatures. The maximum clad temperatures reached in all experiments were quite below the fuel blister temperature, which is 500 °C. Therefore, the STAR has proven to be a safe and reliable experimental apparatus for conducting loss of coolant experiments.

A segurança de instalações nucleares é uma preocupação mundial que tem crescido, sobretudo, após o acidente nuclear de Fukushima. O estudo de acidentes em reatores nucleares de pesquisa tal como o Acidente de Perda de Refrigerante (APR), considerado por muitas vezes um acidente base de projeto, é importante para garantir a integridade da instalação. O APR pode levar ao descobrimento parcial ou total do núcleo do reator e, como condição de segurança, deve-se garantir que haja a remoção do calor de decaimento dos elementos combustíveis. Esse trabalho teve o objetivo de realizar experimentos de descobrimento parcial e total no Elemento Combustível Instrumentado (ECI), construído no Instituto de Pesquisas Energética e Nucleares (IPEN), a fim de estudar os possíveis APRs em reatores de pesquisa. Uma seção de testes, denominada STAR, foi projetada e construída para simular os APRs. O ECI foi irradiado no núcleo do reator IEA-R1 (IPEN) e inserido na STAR, que ficou totalmente imersa na piscina do reator. No ECI, foram instalados termopares para medição das temperaturas do revestimento e do fluido em várias posições axiais e radiais. Foram realizados experimentos para cinco níveis de descobrimento do ECI, um total e quatro parciais, em duas condições distintas de calor de decaimento. Na análise dos resultados, verificou-se que os casos de descobrimento total foram os mais críticos, ou seja, as temperaturas do revestimento foram as maiores quando comparadas com os casos de descobrimentos parciais. Adicionalmente, foi realizada a simulação numérica de dois experimentos com o código RELAP5, cujos resultados demonstraram ótima concordância com os dos níveis experimentais, e temperaturas maiores que as experimentais. As máximas temperaturas do revestimento alcançadas em todos os experimentos ficaram bem abaixo da temperatura de empolamento do combustível, que é de 500°C. Assim, a STAR provou ser um aparato experimental seguro e confiável para a realização de experimentos de perda de refrigerante. / The safety of nuclear facilities has been a growing global concern mainly after the Fukushima nuclear accident. Studies on nuclear research reactor accidents such as the Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA), considered many times a design basis accident, are important for guaranteeing the integrity of the plant. A LOCA may lead to the partial or complete uncovering of the fuel assemblies and assured decay heat removal is a safety condition. This work aimed to perform partial and complete uncovering experiments in the Instrumented Fuel Assembly (IFA) designed at the Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN) in order to study possible LOCAs in research reactors. A test section for experimental simulation of Loss of Coolant Accident named STAR was designed and built. The IFA was irradiated in the IEA-R1 and installed in the STAR, which was totally immersed in the reactor pool. Thermocouples were installed in the IFA to measure the clad and fluid temperatures in several axial and radial positions. The experiments were carried out for five levels of uncovering of IFA, being one complete uncovering and four partial uncovering, in two different conditions of decay heat. In the results analysis was observed that the cases of complete uncovering of the IFA were the most critical ones, that is, those cases presented higher clad temperatures when compared with partial uncovering cases. Additionally, a numerical simulation of two experiments was carried out by using the RELAP 5 code. The numerical results showed an optimum agreement with the experimental levels results and greater than the experimental temperatures. The maximum clad temperatures reached in all experiments were quite below the fuel blister temperature, which is 500 °C. Therefore, the STAR has proven to be a safe and reliable experimental apparatus for conducting loss of coolant experiments.

During loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCA) and reactivity-initiated accidents (RIA), nuclear fuel rods experience high heating rates that change the microstructure and properties of zirconium cladding materials, which are in forms of stress-relieved, like cold-worked (CW) or recrystallised (RX) microstructure. The present study aimed to determine how different fast heating rates and starting microstructures affect the kinetics of phase transformation, the transformation textures and eventually the mechanical response in the dual-phase region. The LOCA/RIA cycles from heating at 8 to 100C/s to alpha+beta or above beta transus temperature were achieved via resistive heating in an electro-thermal-mechanical tester. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD) and electrical resistivity measurements showed that the approach curves of CW Zircaloy-4 shift to higher temperature at faster constant heating rates and change to a new approach curve when changing rates. 2-second holding at two-phase temperature produces identical phase fractions as equilibrium. These observations are consistent with the diffusional character of the phase trans- formation. Heated at 100oCs1, RX samples transform with 2D beta-growth while CW ones show simultaneous beta-nucleation and growth. The difference arises because the fast heating rate helps preserve low-angle grain boundaries (GB) in the CW microstructure up to phase transformation temperature, increasing beta nucleation sites and prevent beta-growth. This gives rise to different textures of RX and CW materials before transformation, producing different textures, which are weak in both cases. However, this difference is enhanced during grain growth and transformation on cooling. Thus, the RX material shows strong final alpha texture with 0002 maxima aligned in TD and tilted 20deg from ND towards TD while the CW reveals an essentially random one. In both RX and CW materials, variant selection does not occur during transformation on heating. During beta-grain growth, although there is variability in beta-textures measured by SXRD and EBSD beta reconstruction, it is clear that variant selection occurs, leading to strengthening of the beta texture. During transformation on cooling, variant selection occurs early in nucleation of the alpha phase from the shared 110 beta GB in the RX condition. The flow stresses of CW Zircaloy-4 in the two-phase regime at a given temperature depend on the heating rates, despite having the same phase fractions. Heated at a slower rate, the material shows an upper yield stress followed by softening behaviour while that heated faster has a smaller yield stress followed by a high work-hardening rate and then stable flowing stresses. The evolution of diffraction elastic strains and intensity suggest the upper yield stress and softening are due to stress-induced transformation of the harder alpha grains into large and isolated softer beta grains. In contrast, the sample heated faster develops an almost continuous film of beta grains along the GB of unrecrystallised alpha-grains which results in early beta-yielding and coherent deformation of the two phases, leading to constant flow stresses. The findings will improve the accuracy of inputs from phase fractions, microstructure and texture of zirconium claddings when modelling LOCA/RIA. A crystal plasticity model should consider the effects of heating rates and cold-work, which are often ignored. The link between deformation, fast heating rates and microstructure evolution might be relevant to other processes like additive layer manufacturing and even forging in the two-phase region.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:27:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T13:56:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:27:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:06:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP / FAPESP:08/55686-6

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:27:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T13:56:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Neste trabalho é aplicada a metodologia da Análise Probabilística de Segurança nível 1 ao reator IEA-R1. Inicialmente são descritos os eventos iniciadores de acidentes identificados no reator para duas categorias: perda de vazão e perda de refrigerante primário. Dentre eles foram escolhidos dois eventos iniciadores para análise mais detalhada do acidente e obtenção da estimativa da freqüência de danos ao núcleo devido a sua ocorrência. Foram selecionados os seguintes eventos iniciadores: bloqueio de canal de refrigeração (maior probabilidade) e perda de refrigerante por grande ruptura da tubulação do circuito primário (maiores consequências). Para modelar a evolução do acidente a partir da ocorrência do evento iniciador e da atuação ou não dos sistemas de segurança utilizou-se Árvore de Eventos. Através de Árvore de Falhas, também foi avaliada a confiabilidade dos seguintes sistemas: sistema de desligamento do reator, isolamento da piscina, sistema de resfriamento de emergência (SRE) e sistema elétrico. Como resultados foram obtidas as estimativas das frequências de danos ao núcleo do reator e as probabilidades de falha dos sistemas analisados. As freqüências de danos ao núcleo mostraram-se dentro das margens esperadas, sendo da mesma ordem de grandeza que os encontrados para reatores similares. As confiabilidades dos sistemas de desligamento do reator, de isolamento da piscina e do SRE foram satisfatórias para as condições em que estes sistemas foram exigidos. Todavia, para o sistema elétrico seria recomendável uma análise para verificar a possibilidade de modernização a fim de aumentar a sua confiabilidade. / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:27:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:06:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Neste trabalho foram desenvolvidos calculos neutrônicos, termo-hidráulicos e de segurança para avaliar a seguranca operacional de um dispositivo de irradiação a ser colocado no núcleo do reator IEA-R1 do IPEN-CNEN/SP. Este dispositivo de irradiação é utilizado para alojar miniplacas de combustvel do tipo dispers~ao de U3O8-Al e U3Si2-Al, com 19,75% em peso de 235U e densidades, respectivamente, de ate 3,2 gU/cm3 e 4,8 gU/cm3. Estas miniplacas serão irradiadas a queimas acima de 50% do 235U, de forma a qualificar este tipo de dispersão para utilização no Reator Multipropósito Brasileiro (RMB), em concepção. Para os calculos neutrônicos, foram utilizados os programas computacionais 2DB e CITATION. O programa FLOW foi utilizado para determinar o fluxo de refrigerante no irradiador, permitindo o cálculo das temperaturas máximas atingidas nas miniplacas de combustível com o programa MTRCR-IEA-R1. Um Acidente de Perda de Refrigerante (APR) foi analisado com os programas computacionais LOSS e TEMPLOCA, permitindo o cálculo das temperaturas nas miniplacas de combustível após o esvaziamento da piscina do reator. Os cálculos demonstraram que a irradiação deverá ocorrer sem consequências adversas no núcleo de reator IEA-R1. / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP / FAPESP:08/55686-6

L’un des accidents de dimensionnement d’un réacteur à eau pressurisée est l’Accident de Perte de Réfrigérant Primaire (APRP). L’évènement initiateur d’un tel accident est une brèche sur le circuit primaire du réacteur entrainant une perte d’inventaire en eau, et de ce fait conduit à un assèchement des assemblages combustibles. En conséquence, une augmentation considérable de la température surviendrait à l’intérieur du cœur du réacteur. Ainsi, les gaines de combustible peuvent éventuellement se déformer et des zones dites ballonnées apparaitre. Ces zones vont avoir un fort impact sur l’efficacité du refroidissement du cœur du réacteur. Pour contribuer à l’étude thermohydraulique d’un APRP, la présente thèse a pour but la caractérisation expérimentale des interactions entre un écoulement diphasique de vapeur/gouttes et une zone partiellement bouchée. Afin de reproduire un tel scénario, le banc expérimental thermohydraulique COLIBRI a été conçu. Plusieurs configurations géométriques de la zone ballonnée, caractéristiques d’un APRP, sont analysées (longueur et taux de bouchage associés au ballonnement). Afin de caractériser les échanges thermiques paroi/fluide ainsi que la dynamique des gouttes, des diagnostics optiques et thermiques sont utilisés : l’Anémométrie Phase Doppler (PDA) pour mesurer le diamètre et la vitesse des gouttes, la Fluorescence Induite par Laser (LIF) pour mesurer la température des gouttes et la Thermographie Infrarouge (IR) afin d’estimer le flux de chaleur extrait du tube par l’écoulement. En parallèle, une modélisation du problème a été développée afin d’obtenir une approche théorique de la capacité de refroidissement de l’écoulement diphasique. Le système d’équations décrivant la conservation de la masse, de la quantité de mouvement et de l’énergie permettra d’estimer l’impact respectif des différents mécanismes de transferts thermiques mis en jeu ainsi que l’évolution spatio-temporelle des paramètres thermohydrauliques / During a Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) in a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR), caused by a break or a leakage on the primary circuit, partial or even complete drying of the fuel assemblies may occur. In these conditions, the fuel temperature increases, leading to a significant deformation and rupture of the fuel rod cladding. The cooling flow might be impaired, according to the size and distribution of the deformed zones within the fuel assemblies during the emergency cooling phase (Reflooding phase). To contribute to the thermalhydraulic study of the reflooding phase, this study aims to characterize experimentally the coolability of a representative deformed sub-channel by a steam-droplets flow under LOCA conditions. In order to reproduce such a scenario, the experimental thermal-hydraulic set-up COLIBRI was designed. Several geometrical blockage configurations are analyzed (Blockage ratios and axial lengths). Three measurement techniques are set up to follow the cooling transient phase of each experience: Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) in order to obtain both velocity and diameter of droplets, Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) to measure the mean droplet temperature and Infrared thermography to estimate the heat flux removed by the two-phase flow. Additionally, a one-dimensional mechanistic model, taking into account of the heat transfers mechanisms in the post-dry out region, is developed in order to analyze the experimental data and identify each one of the wall-to-fluid heat transfers (radiation with vapor and droplets, convection with vapor, evaporation, and droplet impact)

Dans le cadre des études visant à garantir l'intégrité de la gaine du crayon combustible, EDF est amené à caractériser la ductilité de la gaine après un Accident de Perte de Réfrigérant Primaire (APRP). La thèse porte sur la caractérisation du comportement à rupture des gaines en Zircaloy-4 détendu pour lesquels les conditions d'APRP ont été simulées en laboratoire par une oxydation à haute température suivie d'un refroidissement. L'oxydation est effectuée à 1100°C et à 1200°C pour différentes durées ce qui conduit à des niveaux d'oxydation de 3% à 30% d'ECR (Equivalent Cladding Reacted). Deux types de refroidissement sont mis en oeuvre : la trempe à l'eau et le refroidissement à l'air. Les gaines oxydées comportent deux couches fragiles, la couche de zircone externe ZrO2 et la couche α(O), et une couche présentant une ductilité résiduelle, la couche ex-β.Les gaines oxydées ont fait l'objet de caractérisations en microscope optique, par analyse à la microsonde et par nano-indentation. Une corrélation entre la teneur en oxygène et la nano-dureté et le module d'Young a été proposée.L'essai Expansion due à la Compression (EDC) a été développé avec une instrumentation par stéréo-corrélation d'images puis a été utilisé pour caractériser le comportement mécanique des gaines oxydées. Le comportement des gaines oxydées a été étudié à partir de l'analyse des courbes macroscopiques de l'essai EDC et à partir des observations des échantillons rompus ou pré-déformés.Un scénario de rupture des gaines oxydées a été proposé. Ce scénario a été validé d'une part par la réalisation d'essais sur gaines sablées ne comportant que la couche ex-β et d'autre part par la modélisation de l'essai par la méthode des éléments finis. Un critère de rupture des gaines oxydées a par ailleurs été établi. La modélisation du comportement et le critère de rupture proposés ont été validés par la modélisation des essais de compression d'anneau. / In order to guarantee the integrity of nuclear fuel rod cladding, it is necessary for EDF to characterize the ductility of cladding after a Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA). The thesis is about the characterization of the fracture behavior of cold-worked stress-relieved Zircaloy-4 claddings which have undergone LOCA conditions simulated in laboratory by a high temperature oxidation followed by a cooling. The high temperature oxidation is carried out at 1100°C and 1200°C with different times, which leads to different oxidation levels varying from 3% to 30% ECR (Equivalent Cladding Reacted). The high temperature oxidation is followed by two types of cooling: water quench and air cooling. The oxidized claddings contain two fragile layers - the outer zirconium oxide ZrO2 layer and the middle α(O) layer, and a layer which can have residual ductility - the inner ex-β layer.Characterizations by means of optical microscopy, electron probe micro analysis and nano-indentation have been carried out on the oxidized claddings. A correlation between the oxygen concentration and the nano-hardness and the Young's modulus has been proposed.The Expansion Due to Compression (EDC) test has been developed with an instrumentation of stereo digital image correlation, and then used to characterize the mechanical behavior of the oxidized claddings. The behavior of the oxidized claddings has been studied via macroscopic EDC test curves and observations of fractured or pre-deformed test samples.A fracture scenario of the oxidized claddings has been proposed. The fracture scenario has then been validated via EDC tests on oxidized claddings whose ZrO2 and α(O) layers have been removed, and via finite element modeling of EDC tests. Moreover, a fracture criterion has been established. The mechanical behavior modeling and the proposed fracture criterion have been validated by modeling of ring compression test.