Abstract
We propose a new model for burst fission gas release induced by microcracking in ceramic nuclear fuels such as uranium dioxide. The model stipulates that the densities of defects in the fuel material, such as microcracks and fission gas bubbles on grain boundaries, evolve in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics. Central to the model is the notion of an effective temperature, conjugate to the configurational entropy of the fuel material, and directly linked to the burnup. The model predicts that microcracking, driven by the internal stress state of the fuel material, reduces the bubble storage capacity of grain boundaries, and accounts for burst fission gas release during rapid temperature transients that simulate power transients, reactor startup, and loss-of-coolant accident conditions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 154869 |
| Journal | Journal of Nuclear Materials |
| Volume | 589 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 2024 |
Funding
We thank Stephen Novascone, David Andersson, James Langer, Dimitrios Maroudas, Robert Odette, Sidney Yip, and the late Giovanni Pastore for illuminating discussions. This work was funded by the U. S. Department of Energy , Office of Nuclear Energy and Office of Science, Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research through the Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) project on Simulation of Fission Gas through the grant DOE DE-SC0018359 at the University of Tennessee; and by the U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, through the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation program. This manuscript has been authored by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC07-05ID14517 with the U.S. Department of Energy . The United States Government retains, and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes. The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Charles K. C. Lieou reports financial support was provided by US Department of Energy. Nathan A. Capps reports financial support was provided by US Department of Energy. Pierre-Clement A. Simon reports financial support was provided by US Department of Energy. Michael W. D. Cooper reports financial support was provided by US Department of Energy. Brian D. Wirth reports financial support was provided by US Department of Energy.We thank Stephen Novascone, David Andersson, James Langer, Dimitrios Maroudas, Robert Odette, Sidney Yip, and the late Giovanni Pastore for illuminating discussions. This work was funded by the U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy and Office of Science, Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research through the Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) project on Simulation of Fission Gas through the grant DOE DE-SC0018359 at the University of Tennessee; and by the U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, through the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation program. This manuscript has been authored by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC07-05ID14517 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains, and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes.
Keywords
- Burst release
- Damage
- Fission gas release
- Microcracking