FRAPCON-1: a computer code for the steady state analysis of oxide fuel rods

FRAPCON is a FORTRAN IV computer code which predicts the steady state long-term burnup response of a light water reactor fuel rod. The coupled effects of fuel and cladding deformation, temperature, and internal gas pressure on the behavior of the fuel rod are considered in determining fuel rod response. The cladding deformation model includes multi-axial, elasto-plastic analysis and considers both primary and secondary creep. The fuel temperature model considers the effects of fuel cracking and relocation in determining the fuel temperature distribution. Burnup dependent fission gas generation and release is included in calculating fuel rod internal pressure. An integral fuel rod failure subcode determines failure and failure modes based on the operating conditions at each timestep. The material property subcode, MATPRO, provides gas, fuel and cladding properties to the computational subcodes in FRAPCON. No material properties need to be supplied by the code user. FRAPCON is a completely modular code with each major computational subcode isolated within the code and coupled to the main code by subroutine calls and data transfer through argument lists. FRAPCON is soft-coupled to the transient fuel rod code, FRAP-T, to provide initial conditions to initiate analysis of such off-normal transients as a loss-of-coolant accident. The code is presently programmed and running on a CDC 7600 computer