A CALPHAD-informed approach to modeling constituent redistribution in Zr-based metallic fuels using BISON.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Hirschhorn, Jacob; Tonks, Michael; Matthews, Christopher
- Source
- Journal of Nuclear Materials. Feb2021, Vol. 544, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
- Subject
- *METAL-base fuel
*BISON
*URANIUM
*BREEDER reactors
*PHASE diagrams
*FAST reactors
*FUEL
*NUCLEAR fuel claddings
- Language
- ISSN
- 0022-3115
• A new constituent redistribution model was added to the BISON fuel performance code. • The model is applicable to uranium-zirconium and uranium-plutonium-zirconium fuels. • It leverages pycalphad thermodynamic calculations to improve performance. • Its binary predictions are acceptable but ternary predictions require improvement. • The model has been coupled to BISON thermomechanics at the engineering scale. A CALPHAD-informed (Computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams and Thermochemistry) constituent redistribution model was developed for Zr-based metallic fuels and incorporated into the BISON fuel performance code. Three uncertain model parameters associated with β and γ phase kinetics were calibrated using integral test data from U-Zr fuel elements irradiated in Experimental Breeder Reactor II. The calibrated constituent redistribution model was shown to predict the behavior of U-Zr fuels with excellent accuracy. Model predictions for U-Pu-Zr fuels were physically reasonable but less accurate. Reduction of uncertainties in the ternary phase transition temperatures and collection of kinetic data for the ζ phase are expected to improve the model's ternary predictions. Finally, the new model was coupled to existing thermomechanics models in BISON to simulate irradiation of an entire U-Zr fuel element, demonstrating its ability to accurately predict the behavior of U-Zr fuels with realistic geometries and mesh resolutions at the engineering scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]