NSUF 19-1796: EPMA and TEM Characterization of a UO2 fuel pellet and cladding interaction layer
During operation of a nuclear power plant, a brittle complex oxide layer evolves between the UO2 fuel and the cladding material. There is limited knowledge on this generated interaction layer (U-Zr-O) in particular on its irradiation-induced microstructural evolution. The interaction layer acts as a buffer for the pellet-cladding interaction, in particular during the pellet-cladding mechanical interaction (PCMI) phase of reactivity initiated accidents (RIA) where the expanding fuel imposes mechanical loading on the cladding. The microstructure of the brittle interaction layer and the high burn-up fuel in the close proximity, are expected to affect the nature of the local mechanical loading conditions. A detailed characterization of the interaction layer in a high burn-up fuel will lead to an improved mesoscale understanding of the complex phenomena occurring during RIA. Thus, we propose to study the interaction layer and the high burn-up fuel structure by EPMA and analytical S/TEM. The derived data will be beneficial for the mesoscale model development at the interlayer of high burn-up fuel and cladding.
Additional Info
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Awarded Institution | University of California-Irvine |
| Embargo End Date | 2026-02-27 |
| Facility Tech Lead | Alina Montrose, Kory Linton |
| NSUF Call | FY 2019 RTE 2nd Call |
| PI | Sarah Finkeldei |
| PIE Facilities | Hot Fuel Examination Facility, Irradiated Materials Characterization Laboratory |
| Project Member | Dr. Lingfeng He, Associate Professor - North Carolina State University (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2763-1462) |
| Project Member | Dr. Mahmut Cinbiz - Oak Ridge National Laboratory (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4626-8515) |
| Project Member | Dr. Arunodaya Bhattacharya, R&D Associate Staff - Oak Ridge National Laboratory (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5711-7443) |
| Project Member | Karen Wright, Instrument Scientist - Idaho National Laboratory (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4504-929X) |
| Project Member | Professor Sarah Finkeldei, Assistant Professor - University of California-Irvine (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1943-0604) |
| Project Notes | Awarded on 05/14/2019 |
| Project Type | RTE |
| RTE Number | 1796 |