Analysis of Thermomigration in Irradiated U-Pu-Zr Fuel

摘要

Constituent redistribution in a metallic alloy fuel takes place under various driving forces; namely, temperature gradient, concentration gradient, phase change, and irradiation. As a result, the originally uniform alloy converts to inhomogeneous alloy. The inhomogeneity in a metallic nuclear fuel causes phase transformation, solidus temperature change, and local enirchment in fissile atoms, which lead to changes of the physical and mechanical properties of fuel and to potentially unfavorable fuel performances.