• Title/Summary/Keyword: nuclear division

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Towards a physics-based description of intra-granular helium behaviour in oxide fuel for application in fuel performance codes

  • Cognini, L.;Cechet, A.;Barani, T.;Pizzocri, D.;Van Uffelen, P.;Luzzi, L.
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.53 no.2
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    • pp.562-571
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    • 2021
  • In this work, we propose a new mechanistic model for the treatment of helium behaviour which includes the description of helium solubility in oxide fuel. The proposed model has been implemented in SCIANTIX and validated against annealing helium release experiments performed on small doped fuel samples. The overall agreement of the new model with the experimental data is satisfactory, and given the mechanistic formulation of the proposed model, it can be continuously and easily improved by directly including additional phenomena as related experimental data become available.

SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY ANALYSIS OF FUEL/MATRIX INTERACTION LAYERS IN HIGHLY-IRRADIATED U-Mo DISPERSION FUEL PLATES WITH Al AND Al-Si ALLOY MATRICES

  • Keiser, Dennis D. Jr.;Jue, Jan-Fong;Miller, Brandon D.;Gan, Jian;Robinson, Adam B.;Medvedev, Pavel;Madden, James;Wachs, Dan;Meyer, Mitch
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.46 no.2
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    • pp.147-158
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    • 2014
  • In order to investigate how the microstructure of fuel/matrix-interaction (FMI) layers change during irradiation, different U-7Mo dispersion fuel plates have been irradiated to high fission density and then characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Specifially, samples from irradiated U-7Mo dispersion fuel elements with pure Al, Al-2Si and AA4043 (~4.5 wt.%Si) matrices were SEM characterized using polished samples and samples that were prepared with a focused ion beam (FIB). Features not observable for the polished samples could be captured in SEM images taken of the FIB samples. For the Al matrix sample, a relatively large FMI layer develops, with enrichment of Xe at the FMI layer/Al matrix interface and evidence of debonding. Overall, a significant penetration of Si from the FMI layer into the U-7Mo fuel was observed for samples with Si in the Al matrix, which resulted in a change of the size (larger) and shape (round) of the fission gas bubbles. Additionally, solid fission product phases were observed to nucleate and grow within these bubbles. These changes in the localized regions of the microstructure of the U-7Mo may contribute to changes observed in the macroscopic swelling of fuel plates with Al-Si matrices.