Swelling of U-Mo Monolithic Fuel: Developing a Predictive Swelling Correlation under Research Reactor Conditions

Understanding swelling behavior in monolithic, uranium-molybdenum, plate-type fuel is necessary to qualify the fuel for reactor use and for the conversion of high performance research reactors from highly enriched to low-enriched uranium. Multiple mechanisms influence plate dimensional stability, in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of nuclear materials 2021-02, Vol.544 (C), p.152703, Article 152703
Main Authors: Robinson, A.B., Williams, W.J., Hanson, W.A., Rabin, B.H., Lybeck, N.J., Meyer, M.K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Confidence
Data points
Dimensional stability
Fission products
Fuel tests
Irradiation
Low enriched uranium
Molybdenum
Monolithic fuel
Non-destructive examination
Nuclear fuels
Phase transitions
Post irradiation examination
Post-irradiation
Reactors
Research reactor fuel
Swelling
U-Mo, fuel swelling
Uranium
Uranium base alloys
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Summary:Understanding swelling behavior in monolithic, uranium-molybdenum, plate-type fuel is necessary to qualify the fuel for reactor use and for the conversion of high performance research reactors from highly enriched to low-enriched uranium. Multiple mechanisms influence plate dimensional stability, including solid and gaseous fission-product induced swelling, irradiation-assisted creep, fuel-phase transformation, and interaction-layer formation. Separating these phenomena remains a challenge, and current models do not appear to adequately predict experimental results at higher fission densities where it is most critical. To mitigate the mechanistic uncertainty, post-irradiation profilometry is used to increase the number of data points available over a range of in-reactor irradiation experiments conducted at the Advanced Test Reactor, and to provide a statistical precedent for a swelling-behavior model. This work establishes a predictive swelling correlation as a function of fission density, with associated confidence and prediction bounds, by analyzing more than 18,000 thickness data points collected on 74 irradiated U-10Mo monolithic fuel test plates over a range of irradiation conditions.
ISSN:0022-3115
1873-4820
DOI:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2020.152703