| 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 |
Investigating Porosity and Swelling Evolution in Uranium-10wt%Zirconium Fuels Under Varied Irradiation Conditions |
| Author(s) |
Morgan Smith, Nicole Rodriguez Perez, Janelle Wharry, Maria Okuniewski |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Morgan Smith |
| Abstract Scope |
Uranium-zirconium fuels are used in fast reactors for their higher melting temperatures, excellent thermal conductivity, and exceptional performance at high burnups. However, during fission, these fuels produce gaseous and solid fission products, leading to fuel swelling that degrades fuel thermomechanical properties. While swelling has been studied via fuel pin axial growth in Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) and the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF), there are few works investigating how swelling rates evolve under various irradiation conditions. This study examines porosity distribution in historical U-10wt%Zr micrographs from EBR-II and FFTF to understand porosity and swelling evolution in constituent redistribution regions as irradiation conditions are varied. Automated image analysis and stereological principles were applied to analyze micrographs. Results showed porosity, pore size, redistribution region size, and fuel swelling rate evolution across different burnups and temperatures, offering insights into microstructural changes and fuel performance, essential for developing performance codes on swelling. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Characterization, |