Integrating Advanced Modeling and Accelerated Testing for a Modernized Fuel Qualification Paradigm

G. L. Beausoleil, C. Petrie, W. Williams, A. Jokisaari, L. Capriotti, S. Novascone, C. Adkins, M. Kerr

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

With the increasing interest in sodium fast reactor technology, as seen by applications to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the OKLO Aurora plant, fuel testing for the TerraPower Traveling Wave Reactor, and the impending construction and startup of the versatile test reactor (VTR), a modernized, accelerated approach to fuel qualification is needed. To guide this effort, a Phenomena Identification Ranking Table–styled analysis was performed for a U-Pu-Zr sodium-free annular fuel system. This analysis evaluated a series of fuel design properties and parameters against their contributions to key fuel performance phenomena. The resulting priority parameters were then reviewed against existing modeling and experimental capabilities to support investigation of the highest-priority parameters. A pathway for qualification was then established using high-throughput, high-volume experiments from MiniFuel and FAST in parallel with advanced physics-based model development. This effort outlines how the first stages of qualification can be reduced from the typical 20+-year development cycle to 5 to 7 years by deploying accelerated irradiation testing platforms. As with any accelerated test, these methods are prototypic in some aspects and less so in others; however, by coupling with advanced fuel performance modeling and simulation capabilities, the larger space of irradiation parameters and material response provided offers advantages for the validation of physics-based models supporting the deployment of novel fuel designs. As a test case, this paper utilizes a proposed Mark II fuel system for the upcoming VTR. Thus, an accelerated qualification method can be tested for the development of MARK II driver fuel so that by the time of VTR startup, lead test assemblies for a Mark II fuel can be initiated.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1491-1510
Number of pages20
JournalNuclear Technology
Volume207
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021

Funding

 The authors recognize Chris Murdock, Doug Porter, Dawn Janney, Dennis Keiser, Kevin Weaver, Dan Wachs, Steve Hayes, Doug Crawford, Colby Jensen, Nic Woolstenhulme, Adam Zabriskie, Ben Beeler, Larry Aagesen, Jason Harp, Topher Matthews, Tarek Saleh, Stu Malloy, and many others for their technical contributions. This work was supported by the AFC of the DOE Nuclear Technology Research and Development program in the Office of Nuclear Energy. The raw/processed data required to reproduce these findings cannot be shared at this time due to technical or time limitations. This manuscript has been authored by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC under contract number DE-AC07-05ID14517 with the DOE. The U.S. government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the U.S. government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for U.S. government purposes. ?The authors recognize Chris Murdock, Doug Porter, Dawn Janney, Dennis Keiser, Kevin Weaver, Dan Wachs, Steve Hayes, Doug Crawford, Colby Jensen, Nic Woolstenhulme, Adam Zabriskie, Ben Beeler, Larry Aagesen, Jason Harp, Topher Matthews, Tarek Saleh, Stu Malloy, and many others for their technical contributions. This work was supported by the AFC of the DOE Nuclear Technology Research and Development program in the Office of Nuclear Energy. The raw/processed data required to reproduce these findings cannot be shared at this time due to technical or time limitations. This manuscript has been authored by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC under contract number DE-AC07-05ID14517 with the DOE. The U.S. government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the U.S. government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for U.S. government purposes.

FundersFunder number
DOE Nuclear Technology Research and Development
U.S. Government
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Nuclear EnergyDE-AC07-05ID14517

    Keywords

    • Nuclear fuel
    • U-Pu-Zr
    • advanced fuels
    • sodium fast reactor
    • versatile test reactor

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