Sensitivity of Peak Cladding Temperatures to Loss-of-Coolant Accident Reflood Parameters

A partitioning of a hypothetical pressurized water reactor loss-of-coolant accident time history into pre-reflood and reflood periods allowed a study of reflood parameter effects without a well-defined knowledge of the complex blowdown history. Values for the initial reflood fuel rod temperature profiles, reflood cladding-to-coolant heat transfer coefficient (HTC), decay heat, and initial reflood hot node hoop strain were chosen to parametrically describe the initial reflood condition of the fuel rod. The sensitivity of the reflood peak cladding temperature to decay heat was constant; the sensitivity to the gap conductance was only a function of the initial reflood hoop strain. The sensitivity to decay heat and the reflood HTC ramp was greater for the lower initial reflood centerline temperature case.