FURI | Spring 2018

Finite Element Modeling of Micro-scale Bending Testing of Nuclear Reactor Materials

Structural reliability of nuclear fuels is key for the development of safer nuclear reactors. In this work, mechanical behavior of Uranium Dioxide (UO2) is investigated by developing finite element (FE) models of test samples and using load-displacement results from the experiments to calibrate and validate material models that describe plasticity and creep of UO2. Micro-cantilever beam FE models have been created using actual sample geometries and the models verified via analytical methods, by first performing simulations in materials with elastic-perfectly plastic behavior. Research outcomes will help nuclear fuel manufacturers understand how fuel behavior affects the structural reliability of fuel rods.