Mechanistic nuclear fuel performance modeling of uranium nitride
Uranium mononitride (UN) is a nuclear fuel candidate for advanced reactor designs and an alternative being considered for light water reactors due to its higher thermal conductivity and uranium density than UO2. As with any nuclear fuel, swelling and fission gas release are important factors for safety, while also being some of the hardest phenomena […]
Improved Fuel Particle and Compact Matrix Fission Product Release Prediction with Improved Mass Transfer Model
This study was motivated by the need to incorporate more physics-based mass transfer models in BISON in order to improve fuel particle and compact matrix fission product release prediction. This document details the integration of new modeling capabilities in BISON, including (1) development of sorption mass transfer models; improvement of thermal contact model by adding […]
Impact of anisotropy on TRISO fuel performance
Manufacturing of tristructural isotropic (TRISO) particles involves the deposition of pyrolytic carbon (PyC) and silicon carbide (SiC) layers using the fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The CVD process is known to generate polycrystalline layers with crystallographic textures, which imparts anisotropic thermophysical properties to the layers. Past studies have shown the risk for particle […]
Bayesian uncertainty quantification of tristructural isotropic particle fuel silver release: Decomposing model inadequacy plus experimental noise and parametric uncertainties
Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel is one of the most promising fuel concepts enabling high temperature and high burnup reactor operation. One dominant source of radioactivity released from the TRISO particles is silver (Ag), which is subject to a high release fraction and long decay life compared to other fission products. Previous modeling efforts using […]
Compare predictions of transient fission gas release by empirical and mechanistic models to experiments in high burnup UO2 fuel
Understanding and predicting fuel performance at high burnup require improving our understanding of transient fission gas release. High-burnup operations enable new mechanisms of fission gas release, which affect fuel performance. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has recently published its interpretation of existing fuel fragmentation, relocation, and dispersal data in a research information letter. There, transient fission […]
Massively Parallel Bayesian Model Calibration and Uncertainty Quantification with Applications to Nuclear Fuels and Materials
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program aims to develop predictive capabilities by applying computational methods to the analysis and design of advanced reactor and fuel cycle systems. This program has been providing engineering-scale support for the development of BISON, a high-fidelity and high-resolution fuel performance tool. Fuel […]
Fusion Modeling & Simulation Workshop Outcomes
A workshop was held on 10/04/2022 gathering Idaho National Laboratory (INL) experts to develop a roadmap for future fusion-related modeling & simulation (M&S) activities. A total of 43 participants, (34 in-person and 9 remote) contributed to the workshop. After a plenary session with presentations from the National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) and the Institutional Planning […]
Fission Product Transport in TRISO Particles and Pebbles
This document demonstrates completion of the goals described in the technical narrative of the FOA project titled: ”Modeling and Simulation Development Pathways to Accelerating KP-FHR Licensing” regarding fission product transport in the Kairos-proposed fuel pebble by INL and Kairos Power. Showcased in this report are code developments and simulations in BISON that extend the state […]
Assessment and Improvement of Fission Product Transport Predictions of Particle Fuel in BISON
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program aims to develop predictive capabilities by applying computational methods to the analysis and design of advanced reactor and fuel cycle systems. This program has been providing engineering-scale support for the development of BISON, a high-fidelity and high-resolution fuel performance tool. This study […]
Assessment approach to advanced fuel models
This document constitutes completion of the NEAMS milestone M3MS-21IN0201016, which is titled: Assessment of advanced fuel improvements. In this report we present: (1) simulations of separate effects creep tests for uranium alloy and HT-9, (2) examples of standardizing and updating metallic fuel assessments to include the latest models and key output figures of merit, which […]