Application of a Sodium Austenitic Corrosion Model to a Fuel Rod

We attempted to show, using a corrosion model:

1. the possible sodium mass transfer effects along a fuel rod in a sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor
2. how the individual corrosion influencing factors may alter the corrosion effects.

Additionally, it is demonstrated that the corrosion model is able to predict the “Downstream Effect” and the local corrosion rate’s time dependency. It must be considered that the wall and sodium diffusion coefficients as well as the sodium saturation limit of the individual austenitic alloy elements are not well known.