| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
Materials in Nuclear Energy Systems (MiNES) 2021
|
| Symposium
|
Materials in Nuclear Energy Systems (MiNES) 2021
|
| Presentation Title |
Impact of Zirconium Concentration Variation on Metal Fuel Constituent Redistribution |
| Author(s) |
Thaddeus Todd Rahn, Fidelma Di Lemma, Tammy Trowbridge, Luca Capriotti , Assel Aitkaliyeva |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Thaddeus Todd Rahn |
| Abstract Scope |
Constituent redistribution in metal U-Pu-Zr fuels is a complex process driven by gradients in temperature and chemical potential, which produce radially-distributed phase fields, each with different material properties and behaviors. The location and composition of the phase fields evolve dynamically as swelling, fission gas release, and sodium infiltration alter the thermal conductivity of the fuel. Gaps in understanding of these processes limit our ability to model higher-level behaviors such as fuel-cladding chemical interaction and perform design and safety analyses with confidence. To study constituent redistribution in metal fuels, we selected three U-Pu-Zr fuel pin with varying Zr compositions (6-14 wt%) from X441 experiment for postirradiation examination (PIE), which included both non-destructive and destructive analyses. In this contribution, we discuss the results from optical metallography and scanning electron microscopy and compare new PIE results to historical data. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Undecided |