Capabilities of TRANSURANUS code in simulating power ramp tests from the IFPE database

Investigations of fuel behavior are carried out in close connection with experimental research, operation feedback and computational analyses. OECD NEA sets up the “International Fuel Performance Experiments (IFPE) database”, a public domain database on nuclear fuel performance experiments with the purpose of model development and code validation. The objective of the activity (performed in the framework of the IAEA CRP FUMEX-III project) is to investigate the pellet–clad interaction mechanism and the capability of TRANSURANUS code in simulating the phenomena, processes occurring in the fuel rod during the power ramps, with focus on the parameters influencing the cladding failures. The experimental database adopted is the Studsvik PWR Super-Ramp subprogram, part of the IFPE database, which consists of 28 pressurized water reactor fuel rods power ramped at burnup from 28 to 45 MWd/kgU. Relevant results by TRANSURANUS are presented in connection with the experimental evidences. Focus is given on the PCI/SCC failure, demonstrating that the failure threshold, available in TRANSURANUS, results conservative both in case of KWU and W rods.