Advanced Finite Element Modelling of a Horizontal Fuel Element using a Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment

Abstract

The thermal and mechanical behavior of nuclear fuel is a complex and highly coupled system. Predictive capabilities of current computer models are limited because of the high computational requirements. The larger the model becomes the less physics that can be included. The purpose of this work is to use the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) developed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to produce a software application capable of modeling a horizontal nuclear fuel element with the ability to change the fuel type from stoichiometric UO₂ to hyperstoichiometric UO₂ and thoria-based fuels. The preliminary results of the first phase of this project will be presented.