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Title: Cladding Profilometry Analysis of Experimental Breeder Reactor-II Metallic Fuel Pins with HT9, D9, and SS316 Cladding

Journal Article · · Energies
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/en14020515· OSTI ID:1761259

BISON finite element method fuel performance simulations were conducted using an existing automated process that couples the Fuels Irradiation & Physics Database (FIPD) and the Integral Fast Reactor Materials Information System database by writing input files and comparing the BISON output to post-irradiation fuel pin profilometry measurements contained within the databases. The importance of this work is to demonstrate the ability to benchmark fuel performance metallic fuel models within BISON using Experimental Breeder Reactor-II fuel pin data for a number of similar pins, while building off previous modeling efforts. Changes to the generic BISON input file include implementing pin specific axial power and flux profiles, pin specific fluences, frictional contact, and irradiation-induced volumetric swelling models for cladding. A statistical analysis of irradiation-induced volumetric swelling models for HT9, D9, and SS316 was performed for experiments X421/X421A, X441/X441A, and X486. Between these three experiments, there were 174 post-irradiation examination (PIE) profilometries used for validating the swelling models presented using a standard error of the estimate (SEE) method. Implementation of the volumetric swelling models for D9 and SS316 claddings was found to have a significant impact on the BISON profilometry simulated, where HT9 clad pins had an insignificant change due to low fluence values. BISON profilometry simulated for HT9, D9, and SS316 fuel pins agreed with PIE profilometry measurements, with assembly SEE values being 4.4 × 10-3 for X421A, 2.0 × 10-3 for X441A, and 2.8 × 10-3 for X486. D9 clad pins in X421/X421A had the highest SEE values, which is due to the BISON simulated profilometry being shifted axially. Furthermore, while this work accomplished its purpose to demonstrate the modeling of multiple fuel pins from the databases to help validate models, the results suggest that the continued development of metallic fuel models is necessary for qualifying new metallic fuel systems to better capture some physical performance phenomena, such as the hot pressing of U-Pu-Zr and the fuel cladding chemical interaction.

Research Organization:
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE); USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program
Grant/Contract Number:
19A39-103FP; AC07-05ID14517; AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1761259
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1811700; OSTI ID: 1819436
Report Number(s):
INL/JOU-20-60040-Rev000; ENERGA; PII: en14020515
Journal Information:
Energies, Journal Name: Energies Vol. 14 Journal Issue: 2; ISSN 1996-1073
Publisher:
MDPI AGCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
Switzerland
Language:
English

References (7)

FIPD: EBR-II Fuels Irradiation & Physics Database – FY19 Updates report September 2019
Irradiation creep and swelling of AISI 316 to exposures of 130 dpa at 385–400°C journal July 1988
Modelling nuclear fuel assembly with thermal-hydraulic feedback and burnup using WIMS-PANTHER-Serpent journal September 2020
Validating the BISON fuel performance code to integral LWR experiments journal May 2016
Initial demonstration of automated fuel performance modeling with 1977 EBR-II metallic fuel pins using BISON code with FIPD and IMIS databases journal October 2021
Verification of the BISON fuel performance code journal September 2014
Development and Validation of ALFUS: An Irradiation Behavior Analysis Code for Metallic Fast Reactor Fuels journal October 1999