CARA FUEL: Modelling, Design, and Experimental Support

MARINO A.; JUANICO; BRASNAROF, D.

Washington

Congreso; 16th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology, SMIRT?16;; 2001

IAEA (International Atomic Energy Asociation)

An overview of a new concept for PHWR fuel element (CARA) is presented. The thermal-hydraulic and thermal-mechanics modeling and experimental support of the CARA project are considered. We emphasized in this paper the probabilistic modeling and design of the CARA fuel rods, the design of the spacer grid, the hydraulic modeling, and the irradiation proposal for the CARA fuel components. Two dimensionless numbers used as a merit factor for comparison between fuel element designs are proposed. They show easily the advantage of the CARA design within the present CANDU fuel technology. In this paper the thermal-hydraulic and thermal-mechanics modeling and experimental development within the CARA project are presented.