DEVELOPMENT OF THE THEORY OF FISSION GAS BUBBLE EVOLUTION IN IRRADIATED UO2 FUEL (PREPRINT IBRAE-1998-11)

Preprint IBRAE-98-11

Veshchunov M.S. 

In the present paper the standard approaches for modelling of the inter- and intragranular bubbles evolution in the UO₂ fuel are critically analyzed on the basis of available experimental data. It is demonstrated that the main source of errors in the simplified treatment of the problem by the standard models can be associated with underestimation of the radiation effects at low temperatures (below 1500°С) and thermal effects at high temperatures (above 1500°С). The presented analysis allows quantitative description of the bubble nucleation mechanism, adequate modelling of the bubble diffusional growth, and evaluation of the intragranular bubble number density and stable size attained under steady irradiation conditions. 

Bibliographical reference

Veshchunov M.S. DEVELOPMENT OF THE THEORY OF FISSION GAS BUBBLE EVOLUTION IN IRRADIATED UO₂ FUEL. Preprint IBRAE-98-11. Moscow. Nuclear Safety Institute. Jule 1998. 15 p. — Refs.: 33 items.