Abstract
Layer dimensions are key parameters for as-fabricated tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel as well as for post-irradiation examination of particle performance. Layer thicknesses are typically measured by optical microscopy of the particle cross section near mid-plane, while layer volumes are estimated with serial sectioning and microscopy. This method for measuring layer volumes is limited due to the resolution limit imposed by slice thickness and the effect of the polishing process on delicate irradiated particle microstructures. Image processing software has been developed to segregate the three-dimensional (3D) TRISO particle images provided by x-ray computed tomography (XCT) into high-resolution volumetric data for the kernel, all particle layers, and any internal voids introduced during irradiation. These data can be used to analyze key in-reactor behaviors of TRISO particles such as kernel swelling or buffer shrinkage, which are important inputs for fuel performance modeling.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 152255 |
| Journal | Journal of Nuclear Materials |
| Volume | 539 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 2020 |
Funding
This work was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy , Office of Nuclear Energy , through the Advanced Reactor Concepts ARC-Xe program and through the Idaho National Laboratory Advanced Reactor Technologies Technology Development Office as part of the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program.
Keywords
- Image analysis
- TRISO
- XCT