Abstract:
Recently, interest in advanced reactors fuel behavior modeling has been increasing since fuel performance modeling is identified as a high priority for the modeling and simulation effort associated with the DOE advanced fuel cycle initiative. The principal goal of this effort is to deliver increasingly accurate, and ultimately predictive, advanced simulation tool for the performance of current and planned reactor fuels in the U.S. Improved modeling of the behavior of existing fuels and modeling of advanced fuel behavior will be faced with different challenges. Some of those challenges are related to replacing, with science-based models, existing correlations for major fuel behavior phenomena which were developed through existing databases of experimental data. Other challenges are related to the prediction of fuel behavior as transuranics (TRU) are added to the fuel contents, in addition to the desire to extend fuel performance to higher limits. Those higher limits include higher burn-ups, linear powers, neutron fluences and operating temperatures. An overview of the different types of advanced fuel designs and associated modeling and simulation challenges are presented with emphasis on fuels for deployment in future advanced fast reactor systems.

Brief biography:
Abdellatif Yacout, Ph.D. is a Nuclear Engineer and a staff member of the nuclear engineering division at Argonne National Laboratory, where he has conducted research over the past 20 years in different areas related to advanced nuclear energy systems including nuclear fuel analysis and design, radiation induced modifications in materials and nuclear fuel cycle simulation. His current research focus is in the area of advanced nuclear fuel performance analysis and fuel modeling and simulation.