Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
2003 International RERTR Meeting

PREDICTION MODEL FOR OXIDE THICKNESS ON ALUMINUM ALLOY CLADDING DURING IRRADIATION

Yeon Soo Kim, G.L. Hofman, N.A. Hanan and J.L. Snelgrove

Nuclear Engineering Division
Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 – USA

ABSTRACT

An empirical model predicting the oxide film thickness on aluminum alloy cladding during irradiation has been developed as a function of irradiation time, temperature, heat flux, pH, and coolant flow rate. The existing models in the literature are neither consistent among themselves nor fit the measured data very well. They also lack versatility for various reactor situations such as a pH other than 5, high coolant flow rates, and fuel life longer than ~1200 hrs. Particularly, they were not intended for use in irradiation situations. The newly developed model is applicable to these in-reactor situations as well as ex-reactor tests, and has a more accurate prediction capability. The new model demonstrated with consistent predictions to the measured data of UMUS and SIMONE fuel tests performed in the HFR, Petten, tests results from the ORR, and IRIS tests from the OSIRIS and to the data from the out-of-pile tests available in the literature as well.

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