Enhancing the ABAQUS Thermomechanics Code to Simulate Steady and Transient Fuel Rod Behavior

Conference · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2011.05.044· OSTI ID:968557

Williamson, R L; Knoll, D A

A powerful multidimensional fuels performance capability, applicable to both steady and transient fuel behavior, is developed based on enhancements to the commercially available ABAQUS general-purpose thermomechanics code. Enhanced capabilities are described, including: UO2 temperature and burnup dependent thermal properties, solid and gaseous fission product swelling, fuel densification, fission gas release, cladding thermal and irradiation creep, cladding irradiation growth , gap heat transfer, and gap/plenum gas behavior during irradiation. The various modeling capabilities are demonstrated using a 2D axisymmetric analysis of the upper section of a simplified multi-pellet fuel rod, during both steady and transient operation. Computational results demonstrate the importance of a multidimensional fully-coupled thermomechanics treatment. Interestingly, many of the inherent deficiencies in existing fuel performance codes (e.g., 1D thermomechanics, loose thermo-mechanical coupling, separate steady and transient analysis, cumbersome pre- and post-processing) are, in fact, ABAQUS strengths.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 968557
• Report Number(s): INL/CON-09-15677
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
BURNUP
CREEP
FISSION
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL DENSIFICATION
FUEL RODS
HEAT TRANSFER
IRRADIATION
NUCLEAR FUELS
PERFORMANCE
SIMULATION
SWELLING
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSIENTS
WATER
fuel performance modeling
fuel rod behavior