Thermal Simulation of Burned Nuclear Fuel Elements

Abstract

An adjustable description of the temperature distribution in the nuclear fuel elements is evaluated to the prediction of the lifetime behavior of these components. The impact of the fuel and coolant temperature on the neutron reaction rates provides an incentive for accurate modelling of the temperature behavior under transient as well as steady-state operating conditions. This paper is to focus on the steady-state temperature field in the fuel elements. Many of the principles applied are also useful for describing the temperature field in the structure component.