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Characterization of fuel swelling in helium-bonded carbide fuel pins

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6441326
This work is not only the first attempt at characterizing the swelling of (U,Pu)C fuel pellets, but it also represents the only detailed examinations on carbide fuel swelling at high fuel burnups (4 to 16 at. %). This characterization includes the contributions of fission gases, cracks and solid fission products to fuel swelling. Significantly, the contributions of fission gases and cracks were determined by using the image analysis technique (IAT) which allows researchers to take areal measurements of the irradiated fuel porosity and cracks from the photographs of metallographic fuel samples. However, because areal measurements for varying depths in the fuel pellet could not be obtained, the crack areal measurements could not be converted into volumetric quantities. Consequently, in this situation, an areal fuel swelling analysis was used. The macroscopic fission-gas induced fuel swelling (MAS) caused by fission-gas bubbles and pores > 1 m was determined using the measured irradiated fuel porosity because the measuring range of IAT is limited to bubbles and pores >1 m. Conversely, for fuel swelling induced by fission-gas bubbles < 1 m, the microscopic fission-gas induced fuel swelling (MIS) was estimated using an areal fuel swelling model.
Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
6441326
Report Number(s):
LA-11051-T; ON: DE87012983
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English