Comparing the Impact of Thermal Stresses and Bubble Pressure on Intergranular Fracture in UO2 Using 2D Phase Field Fracture Simulations
UO2 fuel fragmentation and pulverization during loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs) is an ongoing safety concern that has gained importance due to recent interest in increasing burnup limits for light water reactor fuel. In this work, we investigate the importance of bubble pressure on fragmentation using 2D phase field fracture simulations of UO2 polycrystals. The model includes […]