Gaseous swelling of U 3 Si 2 during steady-state LWR operation: A rate theory investigation

Miao, Yinbin; Gamble, Kyle A.; Andersson, David; Ye, Bei; Mei, Zhi-Gang; Hofman, Gerard; Yacout, Abdellatif M.

doi:10.1016/j.nucengdes.2017.07.008

Title: Gaseous swelling of U ₃ Si ₂ during steady-state LWR operation: A rate theory investigation

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Abstract

Rate theory simulations of fission gas behavior in U3Si2 are reported for light water reactor (LWR) steady-state operation scenarios. A model of U3Si2 was developed and implemented into the GRASS-SST code based on available research reactor post-irradiation examination (PIE) data, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations of key material properties. Simplified peripheral models were also introduced to capture the fuel-cladding interaction. The simulations identified three regimes of U3Si2 swelling behavior between 390 K and 1190 K. Under typical steady-state LWR operating conditions where U3Si2 temperature is expected to be below 1000 K, intragranular bubbles are dominant and fission gas is retained in those bubbles. The consequent gaseous swelling is low and associated degradation in the fuel thermal conductivity is also limited. Those predictions of U3Si2 performance during steady-state operations in LWRs suggest that this fuel material is an appropriate LWR candidate fuel material. Fission gas behavior models established based on this work are being coupled to the thermo-mechanical simulation of the fuel behavior using the BISON fuel performance multi-dimensional finite element code.

Authors:

^[1]; Gamble, Kyle A. ^[2]; Andersson, David ^[3]; Ye, Bei ^[1]; Mei, Zhi-Gang ^[1]; Hofman, Gerard ^[1]; Yacout, Abdellatif M. ^[1]

Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Publication Date:: Tue Jul 25 00:00:00 EDT 2017

Research Org.:: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)

OSTI Identifier:: 1393910

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1430002; OSTI ID: 1473916; OSTI ID: 1549678

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-17-26251; INL/JOU-17-41554-Rev000
Journal ID: ISSN 0029-5493; 133498

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357; AC07-05ID14517; AC52-06NA25396

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Nuclear Engineering and Design

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 322; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0029-5493

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; fission gas behavior; light water reactor (LWR); rate theory; silicide fuels; steady-state operation; Steady-Sate operation

Citation Formats


                    Miao, Yinbin, Gamble, Kyle A., Andersson, David, Ye, Bei, Mei, Zhi-Gang, Hofman, Gerard, and Yacout, Abdellatif M. Gaseous swelling of U 3 Si 2 during steady-state LWR operation: A rate theory investigation.  United States: N. p., 2017. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.nucengdes.2017.07.008.

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                    Miao, Yinbin, Gamble, Kyle A., Andersson, David, Ye, Bei, Mei, Zhi-Gang, Hofman, Gerard, & Yacout, Abdellatif M. Gaseous swelling of U 3 Si 2 during steady-state LWR operation: A rate theory investigation.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2017.07.008

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                    Miao, Yinbin, Gamble, Kyle A., Andersson, David, Ye, Bei, Mei, Zhi-Gang, Hofman, Gerard, and Yacout, Abdellatif M. Tue .  
"Gaseous swelling of U 3 Si 2 during steady-state LWR operation: A rate theory investigation".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2017.07.008.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1393910.

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@article{osti_1393910,

  title        = {Gaseous swelling of U 3 Si 2 during steady-state LWR operation: A rate theory investigation},

  author       = {Miao, Yinbin and Gamble, Kyle A. and Andersson, David and Ye, Bei and Mei, Zhi-Gang and Hofman, Gerard and Yacout, Abdellatif M.},

  abstractNote = {Rate theory simulations of fission gas behavior in U3Si2 are reported for light water reactor (LWR) steady-state operation scenarios. A model of U3Si2 was developed and implemented into the GRASS-SST code based on available research reactor post-irradiation examination (PIE) data, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations of key material properties. Simplified peripheral models were also introduced to capture the fuel-cladding interaction. The simulations identified three regimes of U3Si2 swelling behavior between 390 K and 1190 K. Under typical steady-state LWR operating conditions where U3Si2 temperature is expected to be below 1000 K, intragranular bubbles are dominant and fission gas is retained in those bubbles. The consequent gaseous swelling is low and associated degradation in the fuel thermal conductivity is also limited. Those predictions of U3Si2 performance during steady-state operations in LWRs suggest that this fuel material is an appropriate LWR candidate fuel material. Fission gas behavior models established based on this work are being coupled to the thermo-mechanical simulation of the fuel behavior using the BISON fuel performance multi-dimensional finite element code.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.nucengdes.2017.07.008},

  journal      = {Nuclear Engineering and Design},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 322,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Tue Jul 25 00:00:00 EDT 2017},

  month        = {Tue Jul 25 00:00:00 EDT 2017}

}

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Title: Gaseous swelling of U 3 Si 2 during steady-state LWR operation: A rate theory investigation

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Title: Gaseous swelling of U ₃ Si ₂ during steady-state LWR operation: A rate theory investigation