Abstract
Radiation-induced volume changes in the fuel kernels and buffer layers of UCO-TRISO particles irradiated to an average burnup of 16.1% FIMA have been determined. Measurements of particle dimensions were made on polished cross-sections of 56 irradiated particles at several different polish planes. The data were then analyzed to compute the equivalent spherical diameters of the kernels and the various coating layers, and these were compared to the average as-fabricated values to determine changes due to irradiation. The kernel volume was found to have increased by an average of 26 ± 6%. Buffer volume decreased by an average of 39 ± 2% due to densification.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 339-349 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Nuclear Materials |
| Volume | 486 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 1 2017 |
Funding
This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy as part of the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program. The authors would like to thank M.S. Kearns, B.J. Frickey, and C.L. Christensen at the Idaho National Laboratory (DE-AC07-05ID14517) for preparation of the irradiated particle mount, and G.W. Helmreich at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (DE-AC05-00OR22725) for assisting with additional quantitative image analysis of some of the historical data from as-fabricated particle cross sections.
Keywords
- Ceramography
- Coated particle fuel
- Fuel swelling
- Maximum likelihood estimation
- Measurement uncertainty
- Post-irradiation examination
- TRISO