Thermal-mechanical coupling behavior analysis on metal-matrix dispersed plate-type fuel

In this study, according to the structure and material characteristics of the metal-matrix dispersed plate type fuel assembly, a series of mathematical and physical models were established, including thermal hydraulic analysis, stress-strain calculation, bending and torsion calculation and other auxiliary models. Based on these models, a thermal-mechanical coupling analysis scheme was designed and a fuel behavior analysis code FROBA-PLATEs was independently developed. The accuracy and reliability of the code FROBA-PLATEs was validated by the single-module validation method. The validated code was used to perform the thermal-mechanical behavior simulation of a hypothetical metal-matrix dispersed plate type fuel assembly. Significant parameters, such as flow distribution, temperature profile and stress strain profile, were obtained. In addition, some important thermal-mechanical phenomena, including the asymmetric heat transfer of the edge plate, the bending of side panel of and the torsion of the whole assembly, were simulated and evaluated. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.