The effect of eccentricity in the position of UO2 pellets

• Analysis of the influence of eccentricity in fuel rods is studied.
• Predictions of temperature distribution in fuel rods of nuclear reactors are made.
• The maximum temperature of the outer surface of the cladding and its position are determined.
• The type of heat transfer could determine the occurrence of nucleate boiling (DNB).

This work deals with a study of heat conduction in rod type fuel elements. A method of solving the heat transfer equations applied in nuclear fuel rods using the finite element method was developed in order to evaluate the performance and safety of nuclear systems. A computational code was developed in order to evaluate the equations governing the problem, the boundary, and initial conditions. This program is coupled to GiD, which is a universal, adaptive and user-friendly pre and postprocessor for numerical simulations in science and engineering. The method was validated against an analytical solution with error less than 1.4% and with respect to an improved analytical solution for axisymmetric rod and eccentricity rod with error less than a 3.6%. Applications have been developed using temperature dependent physical properties for the resolution of an axisymmetric rod and for the resolution of a rod with eccentricity. The present method allows the analysis of fuel rods in the given situations and other scenarios, also, it is a substantial tool for the analysis of fuel rods.