COMPUTER MODELING OF ELECTROTHERMAL DEFORMATION PROCESSES IN THE HERMETIC SEALING OF REACTOR FUEL ELEMENTS

摘要

We examine the questions of using computer modeling to analyze the complex electrothermal deformation processes in the hermetic sealing of the reactor fuel elements by the contact butt welding method. We describe the technique for numerical solution of the coupled problems of calculating the distribution of the electrical potential and the current density, the dynamic nonlinear heat conduction problem, and the geometrically nonlinear problem of the elastoplastic deformation of the reactor fuel element plug and tube. We use the developed techniques and software to study the influence of several parameters that cannot be monitored in the production process on the quality characteristics of the obtained weld joint.