The effect of fuel thermal conductivity on the behavior of LWR cores during loss-of-coolant accidents

The effect of variation in thermal conductivity of light water reactor fuel elements on core response during loss-of-coolant accident scenarios is examined. Initially, a simplified numerical analysis is utilized to determine the time scales associated with dissipation of stored energy from the fuel into the coolant once the fission reaction is stopped. The analysis is then followed by full reactor system thermal-hydraulics analysis of a typical boiling and pressurized water reactor subjected to a large break loss-of-coolant accident scenario using the TRACE code. Accordingly, sensitivity analyses to examine the effect of an increase in fuel thermal conductivity, up to 500%, on fuel temperature evolution during these transients are performed. Given the major differences in thermal-hydraulics design aspects of boiling and pressurized water reactors, different fuel and temperature responses during the simulated loss-of-coolant transients are observed.