Dissertation Defense: Studies of Liquid-like Lanthanide Transport Behaviors in Metallic Nuclear Fuels

Committee Members

• Professor Marat Khafizov
• Professor Lei Cao
• Dr. Jinsuo Zhang

Abstract

The metallic fuel in fast reactors has shown the phenomenon of fuel cladding chemical interactions (FCCI). Lanthanide fission products can migrate to the fuel periphery and interact with the cladding materials leading to clad failures. In order to mitigate FCCI, a fundamental understanding of the lanthanide transport mechanism is necessary. Post-irradiation examination (PIE) of Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) has led to a “liquid-like” transport mechanism which can qualitatively account for the lanthanide migration and sludge-like deposition on the fuel periphery.  In the present dissertation, an integrated model of the lanthanide transport behavior in metallic fuels is proposed based on the liquid-like transport mechanism. It combines the models of Ln dissolution at the solid-liquid surface, Ln transport within a single pore and Ln migration in porous media. The integrated model will be used to quantitatively predict the Ln migration and redistribution in the metallic fuel.