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Comparison of Different Fuel Materials: K.S. Rajan Professor, School of Chemical & Biotechnology SASTRA University
Comparison of Different Fuel Materials: K.S. Rajan Professor, School of Chemical & Biotechnology SASTRA University
SASTRA University
Table of Contents
1
COMPARISON
OF
FUELS
FOR
NUCLEAR
REACTORS
..........................................................
3
1.1
OXIDE
FUELS
................................................................................................................................................
5
1.2
METALLIC
FUEL
..........................................................................................................................................
6
1.3
METAL
CARBIDE
AND
NITRIDE
FUEL
.......................................................................................................
7
2
REFERENCE/ADDITIONAL
READING
.....................................................................................
7
In this lecture, we shall discuss the properties of different uranium compounds that
can be used as fuel in commercial power reactors.
Let us look at the important properties of fuel and their implications, which are shown
in Table 1. These properties serve as the criteria for selection of fuel materials.
Table 1: Important thermo-physical properties of nuclear fuels and their implications
Property Implications
Let us discuss the suitability of different fuel materials based on the above criteria.
Lower thermal conductivity leads to poor transfer of heat from the centre of the fuel
pin to the edge of the pin and to the cladding. Hence the temperature at the centre of
the fuel must be sufficiently high to ensure that the outer surface is sufficiently hot to
transfer heat to the coolant. However, the fuel temperature cannot be allowed to
increase beyond certain limits. If the maximum allowable temperature of the fuel is
Tmax and that of the cladding is Tclad, the lower thermal conductivity of oxide leads to
a large difference between Tmax and Tclad. Since the maximum allowable temperature
of the fuel limits Tmax, limitation exists on Tclad as well. This puts a limitation on the
maximum temperature of primary coolant and hence that of the steam generated.
Figure 1 shows the comparison of temperature profiles with two different types of
fuels: (a) lower thermal conductivity fuel and (b) higher thermal conductivity fuel.
These profiles are shown for a fixed fuel centre-line temperature. The temperature of
a fuel is maximum at the centre-line and decreases radially outward in a cylindrical
fuel element. A temperature difference exists in the fuel-clad gap due to higher
resistance in this gap occupied by fission gases. A small resistance exists in the
cladding layer as well. All these result in difference between the maximum
temperature of the fuel (Tmax) and the cladding surface temperature (Tc) with which
the coolant is in contact.
For a constant heat transfer rate, a higher temperature gradient (dT/dr) indicates
higher resistance to heat transfer. The gradient may be split up into two parts: (i)
temperature gradient in the fuel and (ii) temperature gradient in fuel-clad gap and in
clad material. While comparing two fuels of different thermal conductivities, the
temperature gradient in the fuel is more whose thermal conductivity is lower, when
compared to that in a fuel of higher thermal conductivity. This is illustrated in the
temperature profile shown in Figure 1a and 1b. Note that the temperature gradient in
fuel-clad gap and in clad is same in both Figures 1a and 1b. However, the temperature
gradient (shown as sharp decrease in temperature with radial position) in Figure 1a is
high due to use of low thermal conductivity fuel.
Fig 1. Temperature profiles in (a) low thermal conductivity fuel (b) higher thermal conductivity fuel. The
profiles are drawn for the same fuel centre-line temperature.
The dimensional stability, chemical and irradiation stability, compatibility with clad
material and coolant make the metal oxide (uranium oxide) the most widely used fuel
in light water reactors. In fast reactors, where the temperature and neutron flux are
higher, UO2 responds to environment and hence UO2-PuO2 (mixed oxide) fuel is
used.
2 Reference/Additional Reading
1. http://www.hss.doe.gov/nuclearsafety/techstds/docs/handbook/h1017v2.pdf