Numerical characterization of micro-cell UO2[sbnd]Mo pellet for enhanced thermal performance.

Metallic micro-cell UO 2 pellet with high thermal conductivity has received attention as a promising accident-tolerant fuel. Although experimental demonstrations have been successful, studies on the potency of current metallic micro-cell UO 2 fuels for further enhancement of thermal performance are lacking. Here, we numerically investigated the thermal conductivities of micro-cell UO 2 Mo pellets in terms of the amount of Mo content, the unit cell size, and the aspect ratio of the micro-cells. The results showed good agreement with experimental measurements, and more importantly, indicated the importance of optimizing the unit cell geometries of the micro-cell pellets for greater increases in thermal conductivity. Consequently, the micro-cell UO 2 Mo pellets (5 vol% Mo) with modified geometries increased the thermal conductivity of the current UO 2 pellets by about 2.5 times, and lowered the temperature gradient within the pellets by 62.9% under a linear heat generation rate of 200 W/cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]