Probabilistic Assessment for Nuclear Fuel Rods Behavior

Abstract

BACO is a code for the simulation of the thermo-mechanical and fission gas behavior of a cylindrical fuel rod under operation conditions. Input parameters and, therefore, output ones may include statistical dispersion. In this paper, experimental CANDU fuel rods irradiated at the NRX reactor together with experimental MOX fuel rods and the IAEA'CRP FUMEX cases are used in order to determine the sensitivity of BACO code predictions. We analyze the CARA and CAREM fbel rods relation between predicted performance and statistical dispersion in order of enhanced their original designs. These exercises show the sensitivity of the predictions concerning such parameters and the extended features of the BACO code for a probability study.