Investigation of typicality of non-nuclear rod and fuel-clad gap effect during reflood phase, and development of a FEM thermal transient analysis code HETFEM

The objective of this study are: 1) Evaluate the capability of the electrical heater for simulating the fuel rod during the reflood phase, and 2) To investigate the effect of the clad-fuel gap in the fuel rod on the clad thermal response during the reflood phase. A computer code HETFEM which is the two dimensional transient thermal conductivity analysis code utilized a finite element method is developed for analysing thermal responses of heater and fuel rod. The two kinds of electrical heaters and a fuel rod are calculated with simple boundary conditions. 1) direct heater (former JAERI reflood test heater), 2) indirect heater (FLECHT test heater), 3) fuel rod (15 x 15 type in Westinghouse PWR). The comparison of the clad temperature responses shows the quench time is influenced by the thermal diffusivity and gap conductance. In the conclusion, the ELECHT heater shows atypicality in the clad temperature response and heat releasing rate. But the direct heater responses are similar to those of the fuel rod. For the gap effect on the fuel rod behavior, the lower gap conductance causes sooner quench and less heat releasing rate. This calculation is not considered the precursory cooling which is affected by heat releasing rate at near and below the quench front. Therefore two dimensional calculation with heat transfer related to the local fluid conditions will be needed. (author)