Phelma_Rubrique_L'Ecole

Nuclear fuel behaviour under irradiation

  • Volumes horaires

    • CM 16
    • TD 4
    • TP 10
Responsable(s)

E. Coulon - Picard (CEA)

Contenu(s)

F3. Nuclear fuels behaviour under irradiation
(Lecture: 16h, Practicals: 10h, Tutorials: 4h), E. Coulon-Picard (CEA)

Lecture (16h) : Nuclear fuel performances under irradiation in nominal conditions (E. Coulon-Picard)

  • Nuclear fuel thermal performance and temperature effects.
  • Irradiation effects in fuel materials.
  • Fuel chemistry and fission products effects.
  • Fission gases behaviour.
  • Main limiting phenomena for various types of nuclear fuels:

LWR fuels

  • Outer clad corrosion and hydridation, growth,
  • Inner pressure,
  • Pellet Cladding Interaction.

FR fuels

  • Swelling of claddings and hexagonal wrapper,
  • Inner corrosion of claddings,
  • Margin to fuel melting.
  • Characterization methods on irradiated nuclear fuels.

Nuclear fuel performances under irradiation in incidental and accidental conditions (Y. Pontillon)

  • Nuclear fuel during incidental and accidental conditions:
    • Fuel rod failure and reaction with coolant,
    • Fuel behaviour during a LOCA (Loss Of Coolant Accident),
    • Fuel behaviour during a RIA (Reactivity Insertion Accident).
  • Modelling of fuel behaviour (B. Michel):
    • Standard 1.5 D thermo-mechanical fuel performance code,
    • 2D and 3D calculations,
    • First approaches to multi-scale modelling.
    • Fuel challenges in the coming decades.

Practicals, including a short visit of the LECA-STAR (choice to be made by groups of 4 to 5 students):

  • Fission gases analysis,
  • Non-destructive tests on irradiated fuel rods,
  • Micro-analysis on irradiated fuel samples,
  • Experimental irradiations in MTR

Tutorials: Exercises on elemental use of fuel behaviour simulation applications.