Multidimensional Multiphysics Simulation of Nuclear Fuel Behavior

Journal Article · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EDT 2012 · Journal of Nuclear Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2012.01.012· OSTI ID:1041267

Williamson, R L; Hales, J D; Novascone, S R; Tonks, M R; Gaston, D R; Permann, C J; Andrs, D; Martineau, R C

Important aspects of fuel rod behavior, for example pellet-clad mechanical interaction (PCMI), fuel fracture, oxide formation, non- axisymmetric cooling, and response to fuel manufacturing defects, are inherently multidimensional in addition to being complicated multiphysics problems. Many current modeling tools are strictly 2D axisymmetric or even 1.5D. This paper outlines the capabilities of a new fuel modeling tool able to analyze either 2D axisymmetric or fully 3D models. These capabilities include temperature-dependent thermal conductivity of fuel; swelling and densification; fuel creep; pellet fracture; fission gas release; cladding creep; irradiation growth; and gap mechanics (contact and gap heat transfer). The need for multiphysics, multidimensional modeling is then demonstrated through a discussion of results for a set of example problems. The first, a 10-pellet rodlet, demonstrates the viability of the solution method employed. This example highlights the effect of our smeared cracking model and also shows the multidimensional nature of discrete fuel pellet modeling. The second example relies on our multidimensional, multiphysics approach to analyze a missing pellet surface problem. The next example is the analysis of cesium diffusion in a TRISO fuel particle with defects. As a final example, we show a lower-length-scale simulation coupled to a continuum-scale simulation.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE - NE
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1041267
• Report Number(s): INL/JOU-11-23967
• Journal Information: Journal of Nuclear Materials, Journal Name: Journal of Nuclear Materials Journal Issue: 1 - 3 Vol. 423; ISSN 0022-3115; ISSN JNUMAM
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
42 ENGINEERING
CESIUM
CREEP
DEFECTS
DIFFUSION
FISSION
FUEL PARTICLES
FUEL PELLETS
FUEL RODS
IRRADIATION
MANUFACTURING
NUCLEAR FUELS
OXIDES
PCMI
PELLETS
SIMULATION
SWELLING
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
VIABILITY
multidimensional
multiphysics
nuclear fuel behavior