Simulation of a TRISO MiniFuel irradiation experiment with data-informed uncertainty quantification

Jacob P. Gorton; Ryan C. Gallagher; Zane G. Wallen; Annabelle G. Le Coq; Grant W. Helmreich; Christian M. Petrie; Kory D. Linton; Ryan Latta; Tyler J. Gerczak

doi:10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112177

Simulation of a TRISO MiniFuel irradiation experiment with data-informed uncertainty quantification

Jacob P. Gorton, Ryan C. Gallagher, Zane G. Wallen, Annabelle G. Le Coq, Grant W. Helmreich, Christian M. Petrie, Kory D. Linton, Ryan Latta, Tyler J. Gerczak

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

An irradiation experiment using tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles and the miniature fuel (MiniFuel) irradiation vehicle was performed in Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) to support development of the Kairos Power fluoride salt–cooled, high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR). This paper describes modeling predictions of temperatures and fuel burnup for the as-built experiment. An uncertainty quantification (UQ) analysis was performed to determine the effect of TRISO particle volume and position on the temperature predictions at various fuel heat generation rates (HGRs). This UQ study utilized fuel kernel position and volume measurements previously collected using X-ray computed tomography (XCT) techniques and Monte Carlo sampling methods to generate fuel compact cases that were then analyzed using a finite element thermal model. The UQ analysis indicated that uncertainty in calculated temperatures caused by varying TRISO particle arrangement is relatively small, even at high fuel HGR. Final predictions of particle temperatures throughout the irradiation are shown to be relevant to KP-FHR normal and off-normal operating conditions and to previous TRISO irradiation experiments. The combination of XCT with UQ analyses will inform post-irradiation examination (PIE) of the irradiated fuel compacts, and these analyses can be used to develop fuel performance models for coated particle fuel forms. Both PIE of separate-effects irradiation data and enhanced fuel performance modeling support accelerated qualification of TRISO fuels for a broad range of advanced reactor applications. The novel approach demonstrated here of measuring TRISO particle configurations with XCT methods and generating representative fuel compacts for finite element modeling and UQ analysis could be leveraged by the broader particle fuel community in the development of other TRISO fuel experiments in which these variables may have a significant impact on key outcomes.

Original language	English
Article number	112177
Journal	Nuclear Engineering and Design
Volume	404
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112177
State	Published - Apr 1 2023

Funding

This research was sponsored by the Nuclear Science User Facilities Program of the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy. Compact fabrication was supported by Kairos Power LLC under the strategic partnership project NFE-19-07790. Particles were provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy-Advanced Reactor Technologies as part of the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program. This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle LLC, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( https://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ).

Keywords

FHR
Fuel qualification
Sensitivity analysis
Separate effects
XCT

Access to Document

10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112177

Cite this

@article{27881b438b5142f9a84f09edff7ac8dd,

title = "Simulation of a TRISO MiniFuel irradiation experiment with data-informed uncertainty quantification",

abstract = "An irradiation experiment using tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles and the miniature fuel (MiniFuel) irradiation vehicle was performed in Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) to support development of the Kairos Power fluoride salt–cooled, high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR). This paper describes modeling predictions of temperatures and fuel burnup for the as-built experiment. An uncertainty quantification (UQ) analysis was performed to determine the effect of TRISO particle volume and position on the temperature predictions at various fuel heat generation rates (HGRs). This UQ study utilized fuel kernel position and volume measurements previously collected using X-ray computed tomography (XCT) techniques and Monte Carlo sampling methods to generate fuel compact cases that were then analyzed using a finite element thermal model. The UQ analysis indicated that uncertainty in calculated temperatures caused by varying TRISO particle arrangement is relatively small, even at high fuel HGR. Final predictions of particle temperatures throughout the irradiation are shown to be relevant to KP-FHR normal and off-normal operating conditions and to previous TRISO irradiation experiments. The combination of XCT with UQ analyses will inform post-irradiation examination (PIE) of the irradiated fuel compacts, and these analyses can be used to develop fuel performance models for coated particle fuel forms. Both PIE of separate-effects irradiation data and enhanced fuel performance modeling support accelerated qualification of TRISO fuels for a broad range of advanced reactor applications. The novel approach demonstrated here of measuring TRISO particle configurations with XCT methods and generating representative fuel compacts for finite element modeling and UQ analysis could be leveraged by the broader particle fuel community in the development of other TRISO fuel experiments in which these variables may have a significant impact on key outcomes.",

keywords = "FHR, Fuel qualification, Sensitivity analysis, Separate effects, XCT",

author = "Gorton, {Jacob P.} and Gallagher, {Ryan C.} and Wallen, {Zane G.} and {Le Coq}, {Annabelle G.} and Helmreich, {Grant W.} and Petrie, {Christian M.} and Linton, {Kory D.} and Ryan Latta and Gerczak, {Tyler J.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023",

year = "2023",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112177",

language = "English",

volume = "404",

journal = "Nuclear Engineering and Design",

issn = "0029-5493",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Simulation of a TRISO MiniFuel irradiation experiment with data-informed uncertainty quantification

AU - Gorton, Jacob P.

AU - Gallagher, Ryan C.

AU - Wallen, Zane G.

AU - Le Coq, Annabelle G.

AU - Helmreich, Grant W.

AU - Petrie, Christian M.

AU - Linton, Kory D.

AU - Latta, Ryan

AU - Gerczak, Tyler J.

PY - 2023/4/1

Y1 - 2023/4/1

N2 - An irradiation experiment using tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles and the miniature fuel (MiniFuel) irradiation vehicle was performed in Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) to support development of the Kairos Power fluoride salt–cooled, high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR). This paper describes modeling predictions of temperatures and fuel burnup for the as-built experiment. An uncertainty quantification (UQ) analysis was performed to determine the effect of TRISO particle volume and position on the temperature predictions at various fuel heat generation rates (HGRs). This UQ study utilized fuel kernel position and volume measurements previously collected using X-ray computed tomography (XCT) techniques and Monte Carlo sampling methods to generate fuel compact cases that were then analyzed using a finite element thermal model. The UQ analysis indicated that uncertainty in calculated temperatures caused by varying TRISO particle arrangement is relatively small, even at high fuel HGR. Final predictions of particle temperatures throughout the irradiation are shown to be relevant to KP-FHR normal and off-normal operating conditions and to previous TRISO irradiation experiments. The combination of XCT with UQ analyses will inform post-irradiation examination (PIE) of the irradiated fuel compacts, and these analyses can be used to develop fuel performance models for coated particle fuel forms. Both PIE of separate-effects irradiation data and enhanced fuel performance modeling support accelerated qualification of TRISO fuels for a broad range of advanced reactor applications. The novel approach demonstrated here of measuring TRISO particle configurations with XCT methods and generating representative fuel compacts for finite element modeling and UQ analysis could be leveraged by the broader particle fuel community in the development of other TRISO fuel experiments in which these variables may have a significant impact on key outcomes.

AB - An irradiation experiment using tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles and the miniature fuel (MiniFuel) irradiation vehicle was performed in Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) to support development of the Kairos Power fluoride salt–cooled, high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR). This paper describes modeling predictions of temperatures and fuel burnup for the as-built experiment. An uncertainty quantification (UQ) analysis was performed to determine the effect of TRISO particle volume and position on the temperature predictions at various fuel heat generation rates (HGRs). This UQ study utilized fuel kernel position and volume measurements previously collected using X-ray computed tomography (XCT) techniques and Monte Carlo sampling methods to generate fuel compact cases that were then analyzed using a finite element thermal model. The UQ analysis indicated that uncertainty in calculated temperatures caused by varying TRISO particle arrangement is relatively small, even at high fuel HGR. Final predictions of particle temperatures throughout the irradiation are shown to be relevant to KP-FHR normal and off-normal operating conditions and to previous TRISO irradiation experiments. The combination of XCT with UQ analyses will inform post-irradiation examination (PIE) of the irradiated fuel compacts, and these analyses can be used to develop fuel performance models for coated particle fuel forms. Both PIE of separate-effects irradiation data and enhanced fuel performance modeling support accelerated qualification of TRISO fuels for a broad range of advanced reactor applications. The novel approach demonstrated here of measuring TRISO particle configurations with XCT methods and generating representative fuel compacts for finite element modeling and UQ analysis could be leveraged by the broader particle fuel community in the development of other TRISO fuel experiments in which these variables may have a significant impact on key outcomes.

KW - FHR

KW - Fuel qualification

KW - Sensitivity analysis

KW - Separate effects

KW - XCT

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85146693603&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112177

DO - 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112177

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85146693603

SN - 0029-5493

VL - 404

JO - Nuclear Engineering and Design

JF - Nuclear Engineering and Design

M1 - 112177

ER -

Simulation of a TRISO MiniFuel irradiation experiment with data-informed uncertainty quantification

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this