Manufacture of a UO2-Based Nuclear Fuel with Improved Thermal Conductivity with the Addition of BeO

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2-4) ◽  
pp. 70-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chad B. Garcia ◽  
Ryan A. Brito ◽  
Luis H. Ortega ◽  
James P. Malone ◽  
Sean M. McDeavitt
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Nuclear Fuel

On the thermal conductivity of UO2 nuclear fuel at a high burn-up of around 100MWd/kgHM

2006 ◽  
Vol 350 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.T. Walker ◽  
D. Staicu ◽  
M. Sheindlin ◽  
D. Papaioannou ◽  
W. Goll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Nuclear Fuel

scholarly journals High-Fidelity Calculation of Effective Thermal Response of Composite Media With Heat Generation Source

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Irick ◽  
Nima Fathi
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Thermal Behavior ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Heat Generation ◽  
Thermal Response ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Unit Cell ◽  
High Fidelity ◽  
Conductive Heat

Abstract The complexity of conductive heat transfer in a structure increases with heterogeneity (e.g., multi-component solid-phase systems with a source of internal thermal heat generation). Any discontinuity of material property — especially thermal conductivity — would warrant a thorough analysis to evaluate the thermal behavior of the system of interest. Heterogeneous thermal conditions are crucial to heat transfer in nuclear fuel assemblies, because the thermal behavior within the assemblies is governed significantly by the heterogeneous thermal conditions at both the system and component levels. A variety of materials have been used as nuclear fuels, the most conventional of which is uranium dioxide, UO2. UO2 has satisfactory chemical and irradiation tolerances in thermal reactors, whereas the low thermal conductivity of porous UO2 can prove challenging. Therefore, the feasibility of enhancing the thermal conductivity of oxide fuels by adding a high-conductivity secondary solid component is still an important ongoing topic of investigation. Undoubtedly, long-term, stable development of clean nuclear energy would depend on research and development of innovative reactor designs and fuel systems. Having a better understanding of the thermal response of the unit cell of a composite that represents a fuel matrix cell would help to develop the next generation of nuclear fuel and understand potential performance enhancements. The aim of this article is to provide an assessment of a high-fidelity computational model response of heterogeneous materials with heat generation in circular fillers. Two-dimensional, steady-state systems were defined with a circular, heat-generating filler centered in a unit-cell domain. A Fortran-based finite element method (FEM) code was used to solve the heat equation on an unstructured triangular mesh of the systems. This paper presents a study on the effects of a heat-generating filler material’s relative size and thermal conductivity on effective thermal conductance, Geff, within a heterogenous material. Code verification using the method of manufactured solution (MMS) was employed, showing a second-order accurate numerical implementation. Solution verification was performed using a global deviation grid convergence index (GCI) method to assess solution convergence and estimate solution numerical uncertainty, Unum. Trend results are presented, showing variable response in Geff to filler size and thermal conductivity.

scholarly journals Thermal Conductivity Measurement of Zr-ZrO<sub>2</sub> Simulated Inert Matrix Nuclear Fuel Pellet

2013 ◽  
Vol 03 (02) ◽  
pp. 46-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong-Joo Kim ◽  
Young Woo Rhee ◽  
Jong Hun Kim ◽  
Jang Soo Oh ◽  
Keon Sik Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Conductivity Measurement ◽  
Thermal Conductivity Measurement ◽  
Fuel Pellet ◽  
Inert Matrix

Research on performance enhancement of nuclear fuel with SiC cladding by using high thermal conductivity fuels

2020 ◽  
Vol 124 ◽  
pp. 103330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yangbin Deng ◽  
Bowen Qiu ◽  
Bo Pang ◽  
Xing Gong ◽  
Yingwei Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
High Thermal Conductivity

scholarly journals Plasmachemical synthesis and evaluation of the thermal conductivity of metal-oxide compounds for prospective nuclear fuel

2019 ◽  
Vol 1145 ◽  
pp. 012057 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Shamanin ◽  
Alexander Karengin ◽  
I Novoselov ◽  
Alexey Karengin ◽  
E Alyukov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Metal Oxide ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Plasmachemical Synthesis

Cost Saving When Using Enhanced Conductivity Nuclear Fuel Containing BeO in WWER-1000 Reactors

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomáš Zahrádka ◽  
Radek Škoda
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Fuel Pellet ◽  
Internal Stresses ◽  
Fuel Temperature ◽  
Pressurized Water ◽  
Adverse Conditions ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Fuel Pin ◽  
Water Reactors

Current pressurized water reactors utilize sintered UO2 that has a number of advantages and disadvantages. Uranium Dioxide’s low thermal conductivity results in a large thermal gradient within the fuel pellet corresponding to higher centerline temperatures compared to other potential fuel forms. These gradients result in non-uniform thermal expansion leading to large internal stresses resulting in cracking of the pellet and fuel-clad interaction, which can lead to loss of the integrity of the fuel pin. Higher fuel temperatures also increase the release of fission gases. Fuels with higher thermal conductivity may alleviate or reduce the severity of these adverse conditions. It is shown that higher thermal conductivity can be obtained by adding BeO to the basic UO2 matrix. This paper focuses on WWER1000 hexagonal fuel geometry. Improvements when using 10% of BeO, as proposed in this paper, reduce the centerline nuclear fuel temperature by 234°C and improve the fuel economy while reducing its cost by 7%. The study was done for NPP Temelín which has two units WWER1000/320.

Cermet Spent Nuclear Fuel Casks and Waste Packages

2006 ◽  
Vol 985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles W. Forsberg ◽  
Leslie R. Dole
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Radiation Dose ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Metal Matrix ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Geochemical Environment ◽  
Testing Program ◽  
The Public ◽  
High Integrity

ABSTRACTMultipurpose transport, aging, and disposal casks are needed for the management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Self-shielded cermet casks can outperform current SNF casks because of the superior properties of cermets, which consist of encapsulated hard ceramic particulates dispersed in a continuous ductile metal matrix to produce a strong high-integrity, high-thermal-conductivity cask.A multiyear, multinational development and testing program has been developing cermet SNF casks made of steel, depleted uranium dioxide, and other materials. Because cermets are the traditional material of construction for armor, cermet casks can provide superior protection against assault. For disposal, cermet waste packages (WPs) with appropriate metals and ceramics can buffer the local geochemical environment to (1) slow degradation of SNF, (2) reduce water flow though the degraded WP, (3) sorb neptunium and other radionuclides that determine the ultimate radiation dose to the public from the repository, and (4) contribute to long-term nuclear criticality control. Finally, new cermet cask fabrication methods have been partly developed to manufacture the casks with the appropriate properties. The results of this work are summarized with references to the detailed reports.

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