Year: 1988
Type: article
Abstract: A series of four experiments has been conducted at the Argonne National Laboratory in the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) aimed at providing data for characterizing the radiological source term for severe light water reactor accidents having the greatest contribution to risk (1,2). In each of the tests, four fuel elements were exposed to environmental conditions similar to the fuel in a reactor at the time volatile fission products and noble gases are released. The 1 m long fuel elements had been irradiated in the Belgonucleaire BR-3 reactor to a burnup of about 35,000 MWd/T and then cooled for several years. The test fuel elements simulated the central portion of much longer PWR or BWR elements. Steam at 644 K flowed into the bottom of the fuel region in each test at rates predicted for the accidents being simulated. TREAT power was controlled at levels calculated to generate a simulated decay heating level and offset heat losses from the fuel bundle for about 20 min. 8 refs., 5 figs.
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W37181127