Theoretical and experimental studies of non-linear structural dynamics of fast breeder reactor fuel elements

Descriptions are presented of theoretical and experimental studies of the deformation behaviour of fast-breeder fuel elements as a consequence of extreme impulsive stresses produced by an incident. The starting point for the studies is the assumption that local disturbances in a fuel element have resulted in a thermal interaction between fuel and sodium and in a corresponding increase in pressure. On the basis of the current state of knowledge, the possibility cannot be ruled out that this pressure build-up may lead to the bursting of the fuel-element wrapper, to the propagation of pressure in the core, and to coherent structural movements and deformations. A physical model is established for the calculation of the dynamic response of elastic-plastic beam systems, and the differential equations of p motion for the discrete equivalent system are derived with the aid of D'Alembert's principle. On this basis and with the aid of a semi-empirical pin-bundle model, an appropriate computer program allows a static and dynamic analysis to be obtained for a complete fuel element. In the experimental part of the study, a description is given of static and impulsive loading tests on 1:1 SNR-like fuel-element models. Making use of measured impact forces and of known material characteristics, it was possible to a large extent for the experiments to be reproduced by calculations. In agreement with existing experience from explosion experiments on 1:1 core models, the results (of relevance for fast-breeder safety and in particular the SNR-300) show that only local limited deformations occur and that the compact fuel-element and core structure constitutes an effective inherent barrier in the presence of extreme incident stresses. (author)