Multiphysics coupled modeling of light water reactor fuel performance

Liu, Rong; Prudil, Andrew A.; Zhou, Wei; Chan, Paul K.

doi:10.1016/j.pnucene.2016.03.030

Cited by 39 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…As the coating thickness of FeCrAl increases, the gap size increases at the same burnup rate. The gap size is affected by plenum pressure, fission gas release, and other factors, as demonstrated in our previous work [19]. Figure 8 presents the fuel radial displacement evolutions of Zircaloy, Zircaloy coated with 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mm SiC claddings, and Zircaloy coated with 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mm FeCrAl claddings at a burnup of 1200 MWh/kg U.…”

Section: Metals 2018 8 65mentioning

confidence: 63%

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Thermophysical and Mechanical Analyses of UO2-36.4vol % BeO Fuel Pellets with Zircaloy, SiC, and FeCrAl Claddings

Zhou

2018

Metals

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Abstract:The thermophysical performance and solid mechanics behavior of UO 2 -36.4vol % BeO fuel pellets cladded with Zircaloy, SiC, and FeCrAl, and Zircaloy cladding materials coated with SiC and FeCrAl, are investigated based on simulation results obtained by the CAMPUS code. In addition, the effect of coating thickness (0.5, 1 and 1.5 mm) on fuel performance and mechanical interaction is discussed. The modeling results show that Zircaloy claddings are more effective in decreasing fuel centerline temperature and fission gas release than other kinds of cladding material because of the smaller gap between cladding and fuel at the same burnup. SiC claddings and SiC-coated Zircaloy claddings possess smaller plenum pressure than other kinds of cladding. SiC claddings contribute more to fuel radial displacement but less to fuel axial displacement. FeCrAl claddings exhibit very different radial and axial displacements in different axial positions. FeCrAl-coated Zircaloy claddings have a lower fuel centerline temperature than Zircaloy claddings at burnup below 850 MWh/kg U, but a higher fuel centerline temperature at higher burnup. The gap between FeCrAl-coated Zircaloy claddings and fuel pellets closes earlier than that of Zircaloy claddings. SiC-coated claddings increase fuel radial and axial displacements, and cladding axial displacements of inner and outer cladding surfaces.

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Section: Metals 2018 8 65mentioning

confidence: 63%

“…A more detailed set of physical phenomena models can be found in [19]. Figure 3a shows fuel centerline temperature of Zircaloy, SiC, and FeCrAl claddings.…”

Section: Deformation Mechanicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermophysical and Mechanical Analyses of UO2-36.4vol % BeO Fuel Pellets with Zircaloy, SiC, and FeCrAl Claddings

Zhou

2018

Metals

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“…COMSOL (COMSOL, Inc 2017) is a commercial product specifically targeted at multiphysics simulation, and which permits adding user-defined physics. It has been used as the basis of a nuclear fuel simulation tool (Liu et al 2016).…”

Section: Solution Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiphysics Modeling of Nuclear Materials

Spencer¹,

Schwen²,

Hales³

2020

Handbook of Materials Modeling

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The operating environment of nuclear reactors presents many unique challenges both for the materials comprising fuel elements (Olander 1976) and other structural components within and surrounding the reactor (Zinkle and Was 2013). These environmental challenges are due to the simultaneous exposure to conditions from multiple physical systems, including high temperatures, high radiation fluxes, aggressive chemical environments, and mechanical loading. Numerical simulation has been used for multiple decades as a tool for understanding the behavior of various components in this environment. As these tools have been developed to increasing levels of sophistication, they have been used increasingly both for engineering analysis of components, as well as for simulating the processes of microstructure evolution, which lead to changes in the engineering properties of interest in the materials used in these components. In some cases, the behavior of a single physics can be considered independently, simply because the response of one system does not change the conditions a component or material is subject to in other physical systems. For example, a component may be subjected to mechanical loading and thermal expansion due to elevated temperatures, but often, the mechanical response has a negligible effect on the thermal environment, so the temperature field can simply be imposed as a boundary condition to the mechanical model. However, there are also many scenarios in which the response to one physics has a strong effect on other physics. In the thermal/mechanical example, if the mechanical response of that component significantly changes its configuration, that could alter paths for heat transfer, and have a dramatic effect on the thermal field. In such a case, the simulation should account for two-way feedback between the models of these physical systems to accurately represent its response.

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“…The latter value is a first order approximation of the plenum pressure experienced by the fuel rod over the entire duration of the burnup in the range 6-15 MPa (cf. [40]- [42]). While no further external load was applied on the spacer grid, the pressure differential induces both, hoop and axial stresses.…”

Section: Reduced Texture For the Cladding Tube And Spacer Gridmentioning

confidence: 99%

Finite element simulation of gap opening between cladding tube and spacer grid in a fuel rod assembly using crystallographic models of irradiation growth and creep

Patra

Tomé

2017

Nuclear Engineering and Design

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A physically-based crystal plasticity framework for modeling irradiation growth and creep is interfaced with the finite element code ABAQUS to study the contact forces and the gap evolution between the spacer grid and the cladding tube as a function of irradiation in a representative section of a fuel rod assembly. Deformation mechanisms governing the gap opening are identified and correlated to the texture-dependent material response. In the absence of coolant flow-induced vibrations, these simulations predict the contribution of irradiation growth and creep to the gap opening between the cladding tube and the springs and dimples on the spacer grid. The simulated contact forces on the springs and dimples are compared to available experimental and modeling data. Various combinations of external loads are applied on the springs and dimples to simulate fuel rods in the interior and at the periphery of the fuel rod assembly. It is found that loading conditions representative (to a first order approximation) of fuel rods at the periphery show higher gap opening. This is in agreement with in-reactor data, where rod leakages due to the synergistic effects of gap opening and coolant flow-induced vibrations were generally found to occur at the periphery of the fuel rod assembly.

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Multiphysics coupled modeling of light water reactor fuel performance

Cited by 39 publications

References 21 publications

Thermophysical and Mechanical Analyses of UO2-36.4vol % BeO Fuel Pellets with Zircaloy, SiC, and FeCrAl Claddings

Thermophysical and Mechanical Analyses of UO2-36.4vol % BeO Fuel Pellets with Zircaloy, SiC, and FeCrAl Claddings

Multiphysics Modeling of Nuclear Materials

Finite element simulation of gap opening between cladding tube and spacer grid in a fuel rod assembly using crystallographic models of irradiation growth and creep

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