| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1740791 | Progress in Nuclear Energy | 2013 | 6 Pages |
•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.
