Thermal Predictions of the AGR-3/4 Experiment With Post Irradiation Examination Measured Time-Varying Gas Gaps

Abstract

A thermal analysis was performed for the advanced gas reactor test experiment (AGR-3/4) with post irradiation examination (PIE) measured time (fast neutron fluence) varying gas gaps. The experiment was irradiated at the advanced test reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Several fuel irradiation experiments are planned for the AGR Fuel Development and Qualification Program, which supports the development of the very high-temperature gas-cooled reactor under the advanced reactor technologies project. The AGR-3/4 test was designed primarily to assess fission product transport through various graphite materials. Irradiation in the ATR started in December 2011 and finished in April 2014. Forty-eight (48) tristructural-isotropic-fueled compacts were inserted into 12 separate capsules for the experiment. The purpose of this analysis was to calculate the temperatures of each compact and graphite layer to obtain daily average temperatures using PIE-measured time (fast neutron fluence) varying gas gaps and compare with experimentally measured thermocouple (TC) data. PIE-measured experimental data were used for the graphite shrinkage versus fast neutron fluence. PIE dimensional measurements were taken on all the fuel compacts, graphite holders, and all of the graphite rings used. Heat rates were input from a detailed physics analysis for each day during the experiment. Individual heat rates for each nonfuel component were input as well. A steady-state thermal analysis was performed for each daily calculation. A finite element model was created for each capsule.