Lower length scale model for palladium attack of silicon carbide in TRISO fuel

Technical Report · Fri Aug 30 04:00:00 EDT 2024

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/2476544· OSTI ID:2476544

Bhave, Chaitanya Vivek ^[1]; Swisher, Mathew M. ^[1]; Aagesen Jr., Larry Kenneth ^[1]; Hirschhorn, Jacob Aaron ^[1]; Simon, Pierre-Clement A. ^[1]

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1. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

TRistructural ISOtropic (TRISO) particle fuels rely on silicon carbide (SiC) as the primary barrier for metallic fission product (FP) release. Palladium (Pd) generated by fission degrades the SiC layer, resulting in the formation of lamellar layers of palladium silicides (PdxSi) and carbon (C) perpendicular to the direction of attack. The Pd attack has been hypothesized to be responsible for failure of the SiC layer and enhance FP release. To better understand and quantify Pd attack of SiC in TRISO particles, a multiscale, mechanistic model of Pd transport is being developed by the NEAMS program. Previous work provided an initial hypothesis for modeling lamellar microstructure formation in SiC due to Pd attack using a phase-field model. The work described in this report builds on the previous model by using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to parameterize the phase-field model kinetics, and build a reduced order model in BISON using the improved mesoscale Pd penetration model.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 2476544
• Report Number(s): INL/RPT--24-80441-Rev000
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BISON
MD
Pd
Phase-Field
TRISO