Abstract
A heat transfer model for a Tri-structural Isotropic (TRISO) coated fuel particle was developed using Image Based Modelling (IBM). Computed X-ray tomography at a resolution of 0.7 μm was used to quantify the porosity of each layer. In order to study the thermal diffusivity of these coatings, an internal heat pulse was simulated in the kernel and the temperature, as a function of time, was measured from the surface of the Outer Pyrolitic Carbon (OPyC). Consequently, the half rise time of the temperature increase was found. The novel idea behind this technique is that once a heat pulse propagates through the particle layers, the half rise time of the temperature can be obtained from different spots on the OPyC surface. The article presents a correlation between the pore size distribution (measured by X-ray tomography) and the relative thermal diffusivity. The average porosities in OPyC (relative to the volume of the ceramic coating) measured using helium pycnometry, mercury intrusion porosimetry and X-ray tomography were 12.3 vol%, 9.0 vol% and 11.1 vol%, respectively. Crown
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 668-674 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Nuclear Engineering and Design |
| Volume | 265 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Funding
The authors would like to thank the Commonwealth Academic Research Trust (CART) for their financial support, the staff of the Henry Mosley X-Ray Facilities (HMXF) for providing CT scan of a TRISO particle and to the EPSRC that funded the project (EP/F007906/1).