Pore growth in U-Mo/Al dispersion fuel
U-Mo/Al dispersion fuel is currently under development in the DOE’s Material Management and Minimization program to convert HEU-fueled research reactors to LEU-fueled reactors. In some demanding conditions in high-power and high-performance reactors, large pores form in the interaction layers between the U-Mo fuel particles and the Al matrix, which pose a potential to cause fuel failure. In this study, comprehension of the formation and growth of these pores was explored. As a product, a model to predict pore growth and porosity increase was developed. Well-characterized in-pile data from reduced-size plates were used to fit the model parameters. A data set of full-sized plates, independent and distinctively different from those used to fit the model parameters, was used to examine the accuracy of the model.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-06CH11357
- OSTI ID:
- 1391727
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 478, Issue C; ISSN 0022-3115
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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