| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Microstructural, Mechanical, and Chemical Behavior of Solid Nuclear Fuel and Fuel-Cladding Interface II
|
| Presentation Title |
Phase-Field Modeling of Constituent Redistribution in U-Zr Metallic Fuel Considering Porosity Effects |
| Author(s) |
Woojin Jung, Kunok Chang, Ju-Seong Kim |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Woojin Jung |
| Abstract Scope |
U-Zr metallic fuel, known for its superior thermal conductivity compared to conventional UO2 fuel, is being studied for fourth-generation nuclear power plants with higher power outputs. In burnup experiments, U-Zr fuel exhibits a redistribution phenomenon, resulting in higher Zr concentrations in certain areas. This redistribution causes non-uniform power output, making it crucial to understand and control the phenomenon quantitatively. This requires a multiphysics simulation model that includes elemental diffusion, temperature gradients, and changes in thermal conductivity due to increasing porosity and changing chemical composition. In this study, we developed a two-dimensional phase-field model using the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) to evaluate the spatial distribution of hot and cold phases in cylindrical U-Zr fuel. This model examines the resulting redistribution of elements and constituents based on the radial temperature distribution of the fuel. The experimentally evaluated porosity was incorporated to predict a more realistic microstructure, accounting for inhomogeneous thermal conductivity. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Modeling and Simulation, Phase Transformations |