Assessment of FRAPCON-xt and BISON codes to predict fuel performance in Dry Storage

One of the objectives of EURAD WP8 is to study the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) behaviour under accident conditions, which may lead to a potential loss of confinement during storage, transport and predisposal activities.
For a proper study of this behavior, an accurate initial characterization of this SNF is of utmost importance. Rod Internal Pressures (RIP) reached by the rods during their life in the reactor have a great impact on the reorientation of the hydrides during dry storage, this reorientation may lead to a fragilization of the cladding.
Fuel Performance Codes (FPC) are used to characterize the fuel rods at end-of-life (EOL) in the reactor.
The main objective of the mission consisted in comparing two well-known FPCs in terms of the initial characterization of the SNF, the variables studied were those which have an impact on the reorientation of the hydrides in the dry storage stage (internal pressures, cladding oxide thickness and cladding hydrogen content and radial distribution). the FPCs compared were an extension made in CIEMAT of the FPC FRAPCON (i.e. FRAPCON-xt) and BISON.