No abstract

Metallic nuclear fuels are an active area of research and development for use in advanced reactors. Robust, accurate metallic fuel performance models are necessary for the design, safety analysis, and licensing of such reactors. However, metallic fuel performance models require additional development; they are not as mature as ceramic fuel performance models. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed a benchmark problem based on the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR)-1 experiment to better gauge the accuracy of existing models, identify high-priority models for development, and quantify the improvements made by future model development. This work included collection of all relevant information on the IFR-1 experiment and used it to develop the benchmark problem. The problem was simulated using the fuel performance code BISON, and the results were compared to post-irradiation examination data from the IFR-1 experiment. A sensitivity analysis was performed on the BISON model to determine the benchmark problem's sensitivity to uncertainty in the input parameters. The results suggest that BISON's mechanical models require additional development. Plastic deformation was underpredicted in the cladding, and axial swelling was overpredicted in the fuel. These problems may be related. Furthermore, there was a bias in the temperature which may have been a result of uncertainty in the input parameters rather than an issue with the fuel performance models.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract