Simulation of the impact of 3-D porosity distribution in metallic U-10Zr fuels

In this work, COMSOL multi-physics simulation platform is used to model 3-D porosity distributions and simulate heat transport in metallic U-10Zr fuel. Available experimental data regarding microstructural evolution of fuel that was irradiated in EBR-II and associated phase stability information are used to guide the simulation. The impact of changes in porosity characteristics on material properties is estimated and the results are compared with calculated temperature distributions. The simulations demonstrate the developed capability and importance of accounting for detailed porosity distribution features for accurate fuel performance evaluation.