Thermomechanical safety analyses for a 238Pu production target at the HFIR

Christopher J. Hurt; James D. Freels; Prashant K. Jain; G. Ivan Maldonado

doi:10.1115/1.4041295

Thermomechanical safety analyses for a ²³⁸Pu production target at the HFIR

Christopher J. Hurt, James D. Freels, Prashant K. Jain, G. Ivan Maldonado

Nuclear Energy and Fuel Cycle Division

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

Abstract

Safety analyses at the high flux isotope reactor (HFIR) are required to qualify irradiation of production targets containing neptunium dioxide/aluminum cermet (NpO2/Al) pellets for the production of plutonium-238 (²³⁸Pu). High heat generation rates (HGRs) due to a fertile starting material (²³⁷Np), low melting temperatures, and previously unstudied material irradiation behavior (i.e., swelling/densification, fission gas release) require a sophisticated set of steady-state thermal simulations in order to ensure sufficient safety margins. Experience gained from previous models for preliminary target designs is incorporated into a more comprehensive production target model designed to qualify a target for three cycles of irradiation and illuminate potential in-reactor behavior of the target.

Original language	English
Article number	021004
Journal	Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science
Volume	5
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4041295
State	Published - Apr 2019

Funding

Reactor and Nuclear Systems Division and Nuclear Security and Isotope Technology Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This material is based upon work supported, in part, under an Integrated University Program Graduate Fellowship.

Funders	Funder number
US Department of Energy
U.S. Department of Energy

Keywords

COMSOL Multiphysics
HFIR
Heat transfer
Multiphysics
Structural mechanics

Access to Document

10.1115/1.4041295

Cite this

@article{af970a9a1409472b9520e2f0ce169aab,

title = "Thermomechanical safety analyses for a 238Pu production target at the HFIR",

abstract = "Safety analyses at the high flux isotope reactor (HFIR) are required to qualify irradiation of production targets containing neptunium dioxide/aluminum cermet (NpO2/Al) pellets for the production of plutonium-238 (238Pu). High heat generation rates (HGRs) due to a fertile starting material (237Np), low melting temperatures, and previously unstudied material irradiation behavior (i.e., swelling/densification, fission gas release) require a sophisticated set of steady-state thermal simulations in order to ensure sufficient safety margins. Experience gained from previous models for preliminary target designs is incorporated into a more comprehensive production target model designed to qualify a target for three cycles of irradiation and illuminate potential in-reactor behavior of the target.",

keywords = "COMSOL Multiphysics, HFIR, Heat transfer, Multiphysics, Structural mechanics",

author = "Hurt, {Christopher J.} and Freels, {James D.} and Jain, {Prashant K.} and Maldonado, {G. Ivan}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 by ASME.",

year = "2019",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1115/1.4041295",

language = "English",

volume = "5",

journal = "Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science",

issn = "2332-8983",

publisher = "American Society of Mechanical Engineers",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Thermomechanical safety analyses for a 238Pu production target at the HFIR

AU - Hurt, Christopher J.

AU - Freels, James D.

AU - Jain, Prashant K.

AU - Maldonado, G. Ivan

PY - 2019/4

Y1 - 2019/4

N2 - Safety analyses at the high flux isotope reactor (HFIR) are required to qualify irradiation of production targets containing neptunium dioxide/aluminum cermet (NpO2/Al) pellets for the production of plutonium-238 (238Pu). High heat generation rates (HGRs) due to a fertile starting material (237Np), low melting temperatures, and previously unstudied material irradiation behavior (i.e., swelling/densification, fission gas release) require a sophisticated set of steady-state thermal simulations in order to ensure sufficient safety margins. Experience gained from previous models for preliminary target designs is incorporated into a more comprehensive production target model designed to qualify a target for three cycles of irradiation and illuminate potential in-reactor behavior of the target.

AB - Safety analyses at the high flux isotope reactor (HFIR) are required to qualify irradiation of production targets containing neptunium dioxide/aluminum cermet (NpO2/Al) pellets for the production of plutonium-238 (238Pu). High heat generation rates (HGRs) due to a fertile starting material (237Np), low melting temperatures, and previously unstudied material irradiation behavior (i.e., swelling/densification, fission gas release) require a sophisticated set of steady-state thermal simulations in order to ensure sufficient safety margins. Experience gained from previous models for preliminary target designs is incorporated into a more comprehensive production target model designed to qualify a target for three cycles of irradiation and illuminate potential in-reactor behavior of the target.

KW - COMSOL Multiphysics

KW - HFIR

KW - Heat transfer

KW - Multiphysics

KW - Structural mechanics

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85063947613&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1115/1.4041295

DO - 10.1115/1.4041295

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85063947613

SN - 2332-8983

VL - 5

JO - Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science

JF - Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science

IS - 2

M1 - 021004

ER -