Growth in Vacancy Voids at the Initial Stage of Transient Swelling

Resumo

Swelling at the beginning of the transient stage has been described using point-defect migration theory. The rate of the growth in void diameter at various irradiation temperatures has been calculated for EK-164 steel cladding of the BN-600 reactor. It has been shown that this rate does not depend on the void diameter in a wide temperature range. The characteristics of porosity formed in the steel upon irradiation have been analyzed. The calculated results have been compared with the experimental data obtained for fuel claddings after service in the BN-600 reactor.