2017 | AFC ACCOMPLISHMENTS 22 Lab Heating Method Temperature Control Temperature Measurement Out of Cell In Cell Fuel Target Maximum Temperature (°C) ORNL SATS Radiant + (resistance) Computer Thermocouples Yes Yes Yes 1200 (1700) ANL Radiant Computer Thermocouples Yes Yes No 1200 CEA-Saclay Resistance Manual Pre-set Yes No No 1200 Halden Reactor + heaters Pre-set Thermocouples No No Yes 1200 JAEA Radiant Computer Thermocouples Yes Yes No 1200 Studsvik Radiant Computer Thermocouples No Yes Yes 1200 In-Cell Installation and Demonstration of the Severe Accident Test Station ASevereAccidentTest Station (SATS) capable of examining the oxidation kinetics and accident response of irradiated fuel and clad- ding materials for design basis accident (DBA) and beyond design basis accident (BDBA) scenarios has been successfully installed and demonstrated in the Irradi- ated Fuels Examination Laboratory, a hot cell facility at Oak Ridge National Labo- ratory.Two test station modules provide various temperature profiles, steam, and the thermal shock conditions necessary for integral loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) testing, defueled oxidation quench testing, and high-temperature BDBA testing. Installation of the SATS system restores the domestic capability to examine postulated and extended LOCA conditions on spent fuel and cladding and provides a platform for evaluating advanced fuel and accident- tolerant fuel cladding concepts. Project Description: The high-temperature steam oxidation behavior of zirconium alloy cladding under design basis loss-of-coolant Table 1. Summary of domestic and international accident testing capabilities. accidents (LOCA) and over a broader set of conditions has been studied at several facilities around the world. Currently only a limited number of facilities domestically and internationally can examine the oxidation behavior and post-quench ductility of cladding materials (Table 1). DBA evaluation of Zr-based alloys using the LOCA Integral Test system was originally developed at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and provided significant contribution to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission test criteria for LOCAs.After the ANL unit was decommissioned, the domestic capability was lost. In the aftermath of theTohoku earthquake and tsunami and the resulting Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, research goals have been directed towards developing novel materials with enhanced accident tolerance in light water reactor designs. These materials require evaluation in comparison to current UO2/Zr-based alloy fuel systems to understand the DBA response and enhanced safety margins of BDBA scenarios. ˉ