Computational Modeling of Residual Stresses in U10Mo Fuel with Aluminum Cladding
Computational Modeling of Residual Stresses in U10Mo Fuel with Aluminum Cladding
Wednesday, October 22, 2025: 2:10 PM
LEU (Low Enriched Uranium) plate-type fuel elements consist of a high-density, low-enrichment
U–Mo alloy-based fuel foil encapsulated in an aluminum cladding and is fabricated through the
Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) technique. Understanding the mechanism of possible failure modes
of nuclear fuel is critical to mitigate potential consequences. One of the major contributing
factors in various failure modes is stress and it greatly affects the integrity under temperature,
pressure, and irradiation. These stresses could originate from various sources, including
manufacturing, and operation, and can lead to deformation, cracking, or even complete failure
of fuel elements. This study focuses on the development of a computational model that
accurately predicts the residual stresses generated in the U10Mo fuel during fabrication. It has
been observed that cladding creep has a substantial impact on the residual stresses in the
U10Mo fuel post the HIP fabrication process. Furthermore, during the HIP bonding process the
fuel plate system is heated to a temperature of 560oC and as a result, the aluminum cladding
transitions from (Al 6061-T6 to -O). This presents a challenge in capturing the change in material
properties accurately. Therefore, a temperature dependent creep model such as hyperbolic sine
creep model is considered to estimate the creep properties of the Aluminum cladding. The
proposed calibrated creep model accurately predicts the residual stresses in the U10Mo fuel foil
and agrees well with the experiments.
U–Mo alloy-based fuel foil encapsulated in an aluminum cladding and is fabricated through the
Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) technique. Understanding the mechanism of possible failure modes
of nuclear fuel is critical to mitigate potential consequences. One of the major contributing
factors in various failure modes is stress and it greatly affects the integrity under temperature,
pressure, and irradiation. These stresses could originate from various sources, including
manufacturing, and operation, and can lead to deformation, cracking, or even complete failure
of fuel elements. This study focuses on the development of a computational model that
accurately predicts the residual stresses generated in the U10Mo fuel during fabrication. It has
been observed that cladding creep has a substantial impact on the residual stresses in the
U10Mo fuel post the HIP fabrication process. Furthermore, during the HIP bonding process the
fuel plate system is heated to a temperature of 560oC and as a result, the aluminum cladding
transitions from (Al 6061-T6 to -O). This presents a challenge in capturing the change in material
properties accurately. Therefore, a temperature dependent creep model such as hyperbolic sine
creep model is considered to estimate the creep properties of the Aluminum cladding. The
proposed calibrated creep model accurately predicts the residual stresses in the U10Mo fuel foil
and agrees well with the experiments.