About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
Materials in Nuclear Energy Systems (MiNES) 2025
|
| Symposium
|
Materials in Nuclear Energy Systems (MiNES) 2025
|
| Presentation Title |
Implementing and Validating a Mechanistic UO2 Fission Gas Release Model Using the BISON Fuel Performance Code |
| Author(s) |
Kaylee M. Cunningham, Christopher Matthews, Michael Tonks |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Kaylee M. Cunningham |
| Abstract Scope |
Complete understanding of fission gas release (FGR) in nuclear fuel is crucial for the design and operation of safe and cost-effective reactor fuel. Current FGR models in the BISON fuel performance code are empirical or semi-empirical and thus include assumptions and limitations. To reduce these limitations, a mechanistic gas atom diffusivity model for Xe in UO2 calculated via the CENTIPEDE Cluster Dynamics code was implemented in BISON. A validation study was then conducted using the Halden Reactor IFA-597 experiment base irradiation data available via the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)’s International Fuel Performance Experiments database (IFPE). The fuel investigated in IFA-597 was acquired from fuel rods irradiated between 1986-1992 in the Ringhals 1 BWR in Sweden. After the base irradiation in Ringhals 1, PIE revealed that the full-length commercial fuel rods reached a rod average burnup of roughly 52 MWd/kgU and FGR of approximately 3.3%. This base irradiation was modeled using a two-dimensional RZ axisymmetrical mesh of the full-length commercial fuel rod. In addition to comparing empirical FGR models available in BISON to the newly implemented mechanistic one, a re-solution parameter sensitivity study was also performed, along with a mesh refinement study. The final model yielded a rod average burnup of approximately 52 MWd/kgU and an FGR of 3.03%, while the empirical BISON model calculated 0.79% FGR at 52 MWd/kgU. These results clearly demonstrate that the mechanistic diffusivity model, when combined with the optimal mesh size and mechanistic re-solution parameter model, considerably improves FGR accuracy. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Undecided |