Modeling Thermal and Stress Behavior of the Fuel-clad Interface in Monolithic Fuel Mini-plates
As part of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative, a fuel development and qualification program is in process with the objective of qualifying very high density low enriched uranium fuel that will enable the conversion of high performance research reactors with operational requirements beyond those supported with currently available low enriched uranium fuels. The high density of the fuel is achieved by replacing the fuel meat with a single monolithic low enriched uranium-molybdenum fuel foil. Doing so creates differences in the mechanical and structural characteristics of the fuel plate because of the planar interface created by the fuel foil and cladding. Furthermore, the monolithic fuel meat will dominate the structural properties of the fuel plate rather than the aluminum matrix, which is characteristic of dispersion fuel types. Understanding the integrity and behavior of the fuel-clad interface during irradiation is of great importance for qualification of the new fuel, but can be somewhat challenging to determine with a single technique. Efforts aimed at addressing this problem are underway within the fuel development and qualification program, comprised of modeling, as-fabricated plate characterization, and post-irradiation examination. An initial finite element analysis model has been developed to investigate worst-case scenarios for the basic monolithic fuel plate structure, using typical mini-plate irradiation conditions in the Advanced Test Reactor. Initial analysis shows that the stress normal to the fuel-clad interface dominates during irradiation, and that the presence of small, rounded delaminations at the interface is not of great concern. However, larger and/or fuel-clad delaminations with sharp corners can create areas of concern, as maximum principal cladding stress, strain, displacement, and peak fuel temperature are all significantly increased. Furthermore, stresses resulting from temperature gradients that cause the plate to bow or buckle in an unconstrained fuel plate configuration is greatly enhanced in a constrained fuel plate configuration. The sensitivities of the model and input parameters are discussed, along with some overlap of initial experimental observations using as-fabricated plate characterization and post-irradiation examination.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE - NE
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC07-05ID14517
- OSTI ID:
- 983946
- Report Number(s):
- INL/JOU-09-16771; TRN: US1005207
- Journal Information:
- Materials & Design, Vol. 31, Issue 7; ISSN 0261-3069
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ALUMINIUM
CONFIGURATION
ENRICHED URANIUM
FUEL PLATES
IRRADIATION
MEAT
PERFORMANCE
PLATES
POST-IRRADIATION EXAMINATION
RESEARCH REACTORS
SIMULATION
STRESSES
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TEST REACTORS
URANIUM-MOLYBDENUM FUELS
Advanced Test Reactor
as-fabricated plate characterization
fuel development and qualification program
Global Threat Reduction Initiative
post-irradiation examination