Material Detail

 A nuclear reactor is essentially a device to convert nuclear fission to heat, primarily by conversion of fast neutrons to thermal neutrons, which then are absorbed by the surrounding media to generate heat. One type of nuclear fuel heavily studied in recent years is “TRISO” (tri-isotopic structural layers). A TRISO fuel consists of small spherical radioactive particles in a graphite matrix. The heat generated by the particles can then be transferred to either water, supercritical water, or a gas. One type of cylindrical TRISO-containing reactor uses spherical graphite “pebbles” as the graphite matrix, with heat transfer from the pebbles to flowing He. It is important to understand the temperature profiles in such a reactor to ensure that no part of it exceeds temperature limits at which stress cracking of the particles might occur. Such cracking could result in the release of heavy isotopes of Cs, Sr, and Ag, or radioactive gases, into the He, which if leaked from the reactor core would constitute a safety hazard. 

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