Abstract
A parametric study has been performed that quantifies the effective change in grain boundary Kapitza resistance due to the presence of intergranular bubbles. The steady-state heat conduction equation was solved in three-dimensional space using INL's MOOSE finite element software, with which spacial mesh adaptivity was used to resolve interfacial widths down to several nanometers while investigating bubble sizes up to a micrometer. Three critical parameters were systematically varied: the intergranular bubble radius, the fractional grain boundary bubble coverage, and the Kapitza resistance of the intact grain boundary. Using the simulation results, a mathematical model dependent on each of these parameters was developed to describe the effective Kapitza resistance. Furthermore, we illustrate how this model can be implemented in a fuel performance code to predict the temperature profile of a cylindrical fuel pellet.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 117-122 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Journal of Nuclear Materials |
Volume | 439 |
Issue number | 1-3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2013 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Nuclear and High Energy Physics
- General Materials Science
- Nuclear Energy and Engineering