Influence of hydrogen concentration on burst parameters of Zircaloy-4 cladding tube under simulated loss-of-coolant accident

Single-tube burst tests on hydrogenated Zircaloy-4 nuclear fuel cladding under simulated loss-of-coolant accident are conducted to evaluate the impact of hydrogen on burst parameters. The heating rate and initial pressure are varied from 5 K/s to 150 K/s and 5 bar–80 bar, respectively. The hydrogen concentration in the cladding is in the range of 0–2000 wppm. Burst stress is lower for hydrogenated cladding in α-phase. A significant loss of ductility is observed in α-phase and lower α + β-phase for hydrogenated cladding. However, the burst strain is higher for hydrogenated cladding in β-phase. There is a sigmoidal dependency of rupture area with initial stress and rupture area is larger for hydrogenated cladding. A novel burst stress correlation for hydrogenated Zircaloy-4 cladding has been proposed