Thesis
Forming Complex Nuclear Fuel Shapes in High-Loaded Silicide Surrogates
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2022
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000005213
Abstract
This work provides proof of the concept that high silicide loading nuclear fuel meat surrogates with complicated geometries can be produced with uniform density through an application of cold isostatic pressing (CIP). Dispersion fuels with high volumetric loading of U3Si2 have challenges in fabrication. Experimental work was undertaken using MoSi2 and WSi2 surrogates to explore the feasibility of reducing or eliminating the issues through the application of CIP in the powder compaction step. The composites were prepared at approximately 42 vol% silicide, which was representative of 4.8 grams of uranium per cubic centimeter of fuel plus matrix (gU/cc) and formed via CIP at 344.7 MPa (50 KSI). In order to provide the proof of concept, the density of a CIP surrogate fuel was examined for uniformity but cutting it into 9 approximately equal portions and measuring each portion’s bulk density individually using ASTM Standard B963. The surrogate fuel was found to have a standard deviation in density of 0.01345 g/cc. The CIP mold design was iterated to reduce defects and increase precision. Then the precision achieved was examined by 3D surface imagining. The metal powders used were characterized in terms of particle size by ASTM Standard B214 and their morphology was examined by scanning election microscopy. The interaction of the metal powder particles after CIP were examined by optical microscopy. The information associated with this document is preliminary, for information only, and should not be used as design input or operating parameters without user qualification.
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Details
- Title
- Forming Complex Nuclear Fuel Shapes in High-Loaded Silicide Surrogates
- Creators
- Dustin Clelland
- Contributors
- Changki Mo (Advisor)Joseph Iannelli (Committee Member)Messiha Saad (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Engineering and Applied Sciences (TRIC), School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 32
- Identifiers
- 99901019236701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis