| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
Materials Science & Technology 2019
|
| Symposium
|
Materials for Nuclear Applications
|
| Presentation Title |
Compatibility of U3Si2 fuel with FeCrAl and SiC/SiC Based Cladding |
| Author(s) |
Denise Adorno Lopes, Vancho Kocevski, Theodore M Besmann |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Vancho Kocevski |
| Abstract Scope |
U3Si2 fuel with FeCrAl or SiC/SiC composite cladding are being considered as advanced concepts and accident tolerant fuels for light water reactors. Understanding their chemical compatibility under operational and accident conditions is fundamental to predicting fuel behavior and validation. In this work, experimental determination of interactions and first-principle calculation methods were employed to assess U3Si2 compatibility with the novel cladding candidates. Diffusion-couple experiments were performed to simulate fuel-cladding conditions and the samples were characterized by microanalysis and x-ray diffraction. First-principles calculations using density functional theory (DFT) were used to obtain incorporation and defect formation energies for silicon, carbon, iron and uranium in the U3Si2, α-Fe, and SiC phases. Together, the experimental and DFT results have allowed evaluation of the nature of potential interactions in these fuel-cladding systems. This research is being performed using funding received from the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy’s Nuclear Energy University Programs [grant number DE-NE0008570]. |