Measurement of thermal diffusivity of depleted uranium metal microspheres

• Published in: Journal of nuclear materials Vol. 446; no. 1-3; pp. 100 - 105
• Main Authors: Humrickhouse-Helmreich, Carissa J., Corbin, Rob, McDeavitt, Sean M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.03.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; Fission nuclear power plants; Installations for energy generation and conversion: thermal and electrical energy

The high void space of nuclear fuels composed of homogeneous uranium metal microspheres may allow them to achieve ultra-high burnup by accommodating fuel swelling and reducing fuel/cladding interactions; however, the relatively low thermal conductivity of microsphere nuclear fuels may limit their ap...