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Experimental Investigation of the Evolution of Fuel Clad Ballooning Using Real-Time X-ray Imaging and Its Microstructural Studies

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Abstract

Clad ballooning, which is a plastic instability, results in sudden large deformation and thereby coolant flow blockage in case of transients in a nuclear reactor. We report the experimental findings in the present paper. Experiments have been carried out to investigate the effect of ballooning in fast reactors, where Fe-based alloys are used as clad material. Real-time X-ray imaging captured the evolution of ballooning and rupture, which occurred within a short duration. It was seen that there was material instability until the point of onset of ballooning and thereafter the plastic instability was observed. Microstructural investigations carried out on various regions of the failed specimen showed that there is significant grain coarsening and a drastic drop in the hardness values in the ballooned region when compared to the unaffected region. Fractography tests of the ballooned specimen confirmed the presence of fine dimples at the ballooned region, which is a signature of ductile failure.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Shri. S.Raghupathy, Director RDTG, Shri. S. Jalaldeen and Dr. Shaju K Albert for their highly motivating discussions, and for the support from Mr. R. Manu, and Shr. K. Mohan of RDTG. We are also thankful to Mr. N. Raghu and Mr. Krishna Chaitanya, of QAD for the assistance rendered in radiography and Smt. Sreevidya of MMG for carrying out the Fractography tests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Atomic Energy, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research, Room No: 249, Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, 603102, India

    Rosy Sarkar

  2. Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, 603102, India

    V. D. Vijayanand, Avinash Kumar Acharya, Anil Kumar Sharma, R. Suresh Kumar & G. V. Prasad Reddy

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  1. Rosy Sarkar
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  2. V. D. Vijayanand
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  3. Avinash Kumar Acharya
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  6. G. V. Prasad Reddy
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Correspondence to Rosy Sarkar.

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Sarkar, R., Vijayanand, V.D., Acharya, A.K. et al. Experimental Investigation of the Evolution of Fuel Clad Ballooning Using Real-Time X-ray Imaging and Its Microstructural Studies. Trans Indian Inst Met 74, 1933–1942 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12666-021-02285-8

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