Dataset Information

Understanding the interface interaction between U3Si2 fuel and SiC cladding.

ABSTRACT: Triuranium disilicide (U3Si2) fuel with silicon carbide (SiC) composite cladding is being considered as an advanced concept/accident tolerant fuel for light water reactors thus, understanding their chemical compatibility under operational and accident conditions is paramount. Here we provide a comprehensive view of the interaction between U3Si2 and SiC by utilizing density functional theory calculations supported by diffusion couple experiments. From the calculated reaction energies, we demonstrate that triuranium pentasilicide (U3Si5), uranium carbide (UC), U20Si16C3, and uranium silicide (USi) phases can form at the interface. A detailed study of U3Si2 and SiC defect formation energies of the equilibrated materials yielding the interfacial phases U20Si16C3, U3Si5 and UC reveal a thermodynamic driving force for generating defects in both fuel and cladding. The absence of either the U3Si2 or SiC phase, however, causes the defect formation energies in the other phase to be positive, removing the driving force for additional interfacial reactions. The diffusion couple experiments confirm the conclusion with demonstrated restricted formation of U3Si5, UC, and U20Si16C3/USi phases at the interface. The resulting lack of continuous interaction between the U3Si2 and SiC, reflects the diminishing driving force for defect formation, demonstrating the substantial stability of this fuel-cladding system.

SUBMITTER: Kocevski V

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7250824 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Understanding the interface interaction between U3Si2 fuel and SiC cladding.

Kocevski Vancho V Lopes Denise A DA Claisse Antoine J AJ Besmann Theodore M TM

Nature communications 20200526 1

Triuranium disilicide (U3Si2) fuel with silicon carbide (SiC) composite cladding is being considered as an advanced concept/accident tolerant fuel for light water reactors thus, understanding their chemical compatibility under operational and accident conditions is paramount. Here we provide a comprehensive view of the interaction between U3Si2 and SiC by utilizing density functional theory calculations supported by diffusion couple experiments. From t ...[more]

PMID: 32457336

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Project description:Hydrogenation reactors are important oil-refining equipment that operate in high-temperature and high-pressure hydrogen environments and are commonly composed of 2.25Cr-1Mo-0.25V steel. For a hydrogenation reactor with a plate-welding structure, the processes and effects of welding residual stress (WRS) are very complicated due to the complexity of the welding structure. These complex welding residual stress distributions affect the service life of the equipment. This study investigates the evolution of welding residual stress during weld-overlay cladding for hydrogenation reactors using the finite element method (FEM). A blind hole method is applied to verify the proposed model. Unlike the classical model, WRS distribution in a cladding/substrate system in this study was found to be divided into three regions: the cladding layer, the stress-affected layer (SAL), and the substrate in this study. The SAL is defined as region coupling affected by the stresses of the cladding layer and substrate at the same time. The evolution of residual stress in these three regions was thoroughly analyzed in three steps with respect to the plastic-strain state of the SAL. Residual stress was rapidly generated in Stage 1, reaching about -440 MPa compression stress in the SAL region at the end of this stage after 2.5 s. After cooling for 154 s, at the end of Stage 2, the WRS distribution was fundamentally shaped except for in the cladding layer. The interface between the cladding layer and substrate is the most heavily damaged region due to the severe stress gradient and drastic change in WRS during the welding process. The effects of substrate thickness and preheat temperature were evaluated. The final WRS in the cladding layer first increased with the increase in substrate thickness, and then started to decline when substrate thickness reached a large-enough value. WRS magnitudes in the substrate and SAL decreased with the increase in preheat temperature and substrate thickness. Compressive WRS in the cladding layer, on the other hand, increased with the increase in preheat temperature.

Dataset Information

Understanding the interface interaction between U3Si2 fuel and SiC cladding.

Publications

Understanding the interface interaction between U<sub>3</sub>Si<sub>2</sub> fuel and SiC cladding.

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