The power increase rate of the reactor is often derived using the fuel performance code. Too restrictive rates are not desirable since they lead to the loss of production. On the other hand fast increase or not well controlled axial power oscillation may result in the rod failure due to pellet-cladding interaction.
Most of the currently used fuel performance codes treat the stack of the fuel pellets using a simplified “1.5D” approach where individual pellets are not distinguished and the fuel stack is taken to be symmetrical. In reality, several effects must be taken into account when more accurate description is required. These local effects include contact at pellet-pellet interface, fuel pellet cracking under thermal stress, fabrication defects pellets or azimuthal asymmetry in the heat generation or heat transfer conditions due to rod bowing or presence of control rods.
Detailed models of the local phenomena are therefore being developed at ÚJV Řež using the ABAQUS 6.12 code and used to improve the predictions of the codes routinely used for the core design assessment. For example the impact of the use of the advanced pellet materials on the peak loading that the cladding will experience during the power ramp has been quantified.
