Experimentally validated multiphysics modeling of fracture induced by thermal shocks in sintered UO pellets
Uranium Dioxide (UO) fuel powers almost all commercial Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) worldwide, generating carbon-free energy and contributing to the fight against climate change. UO fuel incurs damage and fractures due to large thermal gradients that develop across the fuel pellet during normal and transient operating conditions. A comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms by […]
Thermal-Shock Experiments for Separate-Effects Validation of UO2 Fuel Fracture Models
Because of the important role that fracture plays in the behavior of ceramic UO2 fuel in a nuclear reactor environment, fracture models are a major component of fuel performance codes. As with any aspect of fuel performance, it is crucial to validate these fracture models against experimental data; however, obtaining well-controlled data for conditions representative […]