Effect of grain size on gas bubble evolution in nuclear fuel: Phase-field investigations

doi:10.1088/1674-1056/ad08a6

Abstract Numerous irradiation-induced gas bubbles are created in the nuclear fuel during irradiation, leading to the change of microstructure and the degradation of mechanical and thermal properties. The grain size of fuel is one of the important factors affecting bubble evolution. In current study, we first predict the thermodynamic behaviors of point defects as well as the interplay between vacancy and gas atom in both UO₂ and U₃Si₂ according to ab initio approach. Then, we establish the irradiation-induced bubble phase-field model to investigate the formation and evolution of intra- and inter-granular gas bubbles. The effects of fission rate and temperature on the evolutions of bubble morphologies in UO₂ and U₃Si₂ have been revealed. Especially, a comparison of porosities under different grain sizes is examined and analyzed. To understand the thermal conductivity as functions of grain size and porosity, the heat transfer capability of U₃Si₂ is evaluated.

Keywords: grain size point defects fission gas bubble

Received: 03 August 2023
Revised: 28 September 2023
Accepted manuscript online: 02 November 2023

PACS:	61.72.Mm	(Grain and twin boundaries)
	61.72.J-	(Point defects and defect clusters)
	61.72.-y	(Defects and impurities in crystals; microstructure)

Fund: Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. U2167217, 12205286, and 11905025) and the National MCF Energy Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2018YFE0308105).

Corresponding Authors: Ping Chen, Yuanyuan Wang
E-mail: Chenping_npic@163.com;yuanyuanwang@dlut.edu.cn

Cite this article:

Dan Sun(孙丹), Qingfeng Yang(杨青峰), Jiajun Zhao(赵家珺), Shixin Gao(高士鑫), Yong Xin(辛勇), Yi Zhou(周毅), Chunyu Yin(尹春雨), Ping Chen(陈平), Jijun Zhao(赵纪军), and Yuanyuan Wang(王园园) Effect of grain size on gas bubble evolution in nuclear fuel: Phase-field investigations 2024 Chin. Phys. B 33 016105

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