Abstract
Uranium dioxide pellets (UO2) used as fuel in nuclear power reactors are subjected to high thermal gradients and may undergo swelling during reactor operation. The swelling of UO2 pellets, resulting from the fission products, causes cracking of the material and it is thus critical to study their behaviour. This study evaluated the application of the ultrasonic method in obtaining the elastic constants of UO2 pellets. Due to the difficulties in handling nuclear material, we used tablets of alumina (Al2O3) for a comparative study. For this, two sets of 10 Al2O3pellets with densities of 92% and 96% were fabricated. Ultrasonic transmission technique was used for obtaining measurements of the travel time of longitudinal and transverse ultrasonic waves. Equations relating material density and velocity of the ultrasonic wave to the elasticity, shear and Poisson’s modules allowed the determination of these elastic constants, whose values showed excellent agreement with those available in the literature for Al2O3.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
