ISSN Online: 2688-7231
ISBN Flash Drive: 978-1-56700-497-7
ISBN Online: 978-1-56700-496-0
Proceedings of the 25th National and 3rd International ISHMT-ASTFE Heat and Mass Transfer Conference (IHMTC-2019)
Analysis of Entrapped Gas Behaviour on Capillary Infiltration of Liquid Sodium in Irradiated Metallic Fuel of SFR
Abstract
Evolution of porosity in metallic fuel during irradiation
causes change in fuel thermal conductivity and this affects
the associated heat transport phenomena. The porosity
generation as a result of fission gases accumulation and
resultant reduction in fuel thermal conductivity is ameliorated
by the infiltration of bond sodium into the fuel. Hence the
assessment of sodium infiltration into irradiated porous
metallic fuel is essential to predict its performance under
irradiation conditions. In this connection numerical studies
have been carried out to analyze liquid sodium infiltration
process in the capillary pores of irradiated porous metallic
fuel rod by developing a 1-D capillary infiltration model.
Using this numerical model, the extent of sodium infiltration
into the porous metallic fuel has been evaluated for different
values of the influencing parameters. Further, the effect of
entrapped gas action on dynamics of sodium intrusion into
the capillary pores under different conditions has been
analyzed. The results of this study are useful in the evaluation of change in thermal conductivity of metallic fuel during irradiation and for the proper assessment of fuel performance under irradiation conditions.