b'Summarizing Effect of Coating Thickness and Conditionon Behavior of Zr CladdingPrincipal Investigator: Tim GraeningTeam Members/ Collaborator: Mackenzie Ridley, Caleb P. Massey, Ben Garrison, Kory Linton, Andrew Nelson Accurate TEMA ccident-tolerant fuelto inform and benchmark ongoing (ATF) concepts have beenmodeling efforts and to facilitate developed and tested indialogue both within AFC, inde-investigations of thediverse research programs aroundpendent regulators, and the broader interface bondingthe world. Industry teams haveinternational community. The between Cr-coating anddeveloped proprietary coatingwork presented compares different Zry-4 cladding providecompositions and geometries, butCr coating microstructures and valuable information toknowledge gaps exist in termsthicknesses on conventional Zry-4 simulation models. of the resulting properties of thecladdings. Evaluating the impact coating and the cladding and howof thickness, microstructure and those properties affect each other inadherence at the interface is crucial reactor conditions. Steady-state andto understand how thin coatings transient BISON coated Zr modelsmay impact cladding performance have improved in recent years, butunder normal operating condition. fundamental datasets to validateThe interface of as-coated claddings performance predictions arewas characterized to assess coating limited. The ability of the Advancedanisotropic texture, grain sizes, Fuel Campaign (AFC) to produceand chemical composition. Two high-quality Cr coatings of varyingdifferent coating application thicknesses now allows for testingprocesses were assessed as well of Cr-coated Zr cladding under aas coating thickness. Burst tests range of representative conditionswere performed to simulate a to expand these datasets. Theloss-of-coolant accident on each milestone document gives a compre- coating thickness to link coating hensive summary of the range ofthickness and microstructure mechanical testing of coated Zrto the mechanical performance. performed in FY 2022. Another activity highlighted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commissions Project Description: (NRC) Phenomena Identification The AFC augmented the proprietaryand Ranking Tables (PIRT) is to activities undertaken by commercial evaluate the impact of a coating fuel vendors by supportingflaw on performance. Furthermore, fundamental activities intendedthe resulting data in the milestone to understand fundamental perfor- report offers guidance to tailor mance and delineate underlyingcoating thickness and microstructure dependencies such as coatingto improve corrosion resistance geometry and integrity effect onand accident performance, without performance. Having data availableinterfering from a neutronic in the open literature is important 30 2022|AFC ACCOMPLISHMENTS'