Experimental Investigation on Pellet-Cladding Interaction Behavior of SiCf/SiC Composite Cladding with Mandrel Test under Ambient and Elevated Temperature Conditions

分类： 物理学 >> 核物理学 提交时间： 2025-05-17

Deng, Prof. Yangbin Peng, Dr. Xintong Qiu, Dr. Bowen He, Prof. Yanan Wu, Dr. Yingwei Su, Prof. Guanghui 苏光辉

摘要： This study focuses on the Pellet-Cladding Mechanical Interaction (PCI) behavior of silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide composite (SiCf/SiC) cladding as an Accident-Tolerant Fuel (ATF) material. A specialized mandrel expansion test apparatus was developed to systematically investigate its failure characteristics under ambient and elevated temperatures (up to 920°C) and varied loading rates (0.5–1 mm/min). The experimental setup integrated Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and strain gauge systems to quantify stress-strain responses and critical failure parameters. Results demonstrated that elevated temperatures significantly degraded the load-bearing capacity of SiCf/SiC cladding, with average failure loads decreasing by 36.7% and failure strains reducing by 9.8%. Increased loading rates exacerbated non-uniform plastic deformation, leading to approximately 30% lower failure loads under room-temperature conditions. Furthermore, the failure process of SiCf/SiC cladding exhibited five distinct stages, with Stage IV (plunger-induced radial compression triggering cladding rupture) identified as the critical failure phase. This research provides essential experimental data for evaluating PCI performance of SiCf/SiC composite cladding, elucidates its high-temperature mechanical degradation mechanisms, and offers theoretical insights for optimizing nuclear fuel element design.

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