Verification of the BISON fuel performance code

Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 2014 · Annals of Nuclear Energy

OSTI ID:1156913

Perez, D. M.; Gardner, R. J.; Hales, J. D.; Novascone, S. R.; Pastore, G.; Spencer, B. W.; Williamson, R. L.

BISON is a modern finite element-based nuclear fuel performance code that has been under development at Idaho National Labo- ratory (USA) since 2009. The code is applicable to both steady and transient fuel behavior and is used to analyze 1D spherical, 2D axisymmetric, or 3D geometries. BISON has been applied to a variety of fuel forms including LWR fuel rods, TRISO-coated fuel particles, and metallic fuel in both rod and plate geometries. Code validation is currently in progress, principally by comparison to instrumented LWR fuel rods and other well known fuel performance codes. Results from several assessment cases are reported, with emphasis on fuel centerline temperatures at various stages of fuel life, fission gas release, and clad deformation during pellet clad mechanical interaction (PCMI). BISON comparisons to fuel centerline temperature measurements are very good at beginning of life and reasonable at high burnup. Although limited to date, fission gas release comparisons are very good. Comparisons of rod diameter following significant power ramping are also good and demonstrate BISON’s unique ability to model discrete pellet behavior and accurately predict clad ridging from PCMI.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE - NE
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1156913
• Report Number(s): INL/JOU-14-32804
• Journal Information: Annals of Nuclear Energy, Journal Name: Annals of Nuclear Energy Vol. 71
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
BISON
assessment
multidimensional nuclear fuel behavior
multiphysics