Experimental characterization of Zircaloy-4 sheet deformation during combined hydriding and corrosion
Résumé
In the frame of its research activity on nuclear fuel safety, the French "Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nuclé aire" (IRSN) has been investigating the dimensional stability of fuel assemblies in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). Under normal operating conditions, the dimensional stability is an important performance issue for light water reactor fuel assemblies. The dimensional change results from a combined influence of oxidation, hydriding, irradiation growth and irradiation creep. In the present work, detailed studies carried out on zirconium alloys address the combined influence of oxide layer growth, hydride precipitation and thermal creep. In order to quantify the contribution of each parameter, three kinds of experiments were performed on samples cut in a recrystallized Zircaloy-4 sheet: hydrogen gaseous charging, air oxidation and steam oxidation. These experiments confirm the influence of hydrogen on sample deformation during oxidation. A basic understanding of the key mechanisms affecting the sample strain is proposed. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Mots clés
Air oxidation
Dimensional changes
Experimental characterization
Fuel assembly
Hydriding
Irradiation creep
Light water reactor fuels
Normal operating conditions
Oxide layer growth
Performance issues
Radioprotection
Research activities
Sample deformation
Sheet deformation
Steam oxidation
Thermal creep
Zircaloy-4
Experiments
Hydrogen
Light water reactors
Nuclear fuels
Oxidation
Zirconium alloys
Zirconium compounds
Pressurized water reactors