Effects of Hydrogen Redistribution at High Temperatures in Yttrium Hydride Moderator Material

Advanced materials development, manufacturing, and modeling capabilities for innovative reactor designs support nuclear security and mission-focused science through enhanced technology for safer and more efficient and secure production of nuclear energy. The high temperature moderator material yttri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:JOM (1989) 2021-11, Vol.73 (11), p.3513-3518
Main Authors: Trellue, Holly R., Long, Alexander M., Luther, Erik P., Carver, D. Travis, Mehta, Vedant K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chemistry/Food Science
Cooling
Crystallography
Earth Sciences
Engineering
Environment
High temperature
Hydrides
Hydrogen
including Space Reactors
Materials for Small Nuclear Reactors and Micro Reactors
MATERIALS SCIENCE
Microreactors
Molybdenum
Multiplication
Neutrons
Nuclear fuels
Nuclear reactors
Physics
Radiography
Reactor design
Simulation
Yttrium
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Summary:Advanced materials development, manufacturing, and modeling capabilities for innovative reactor designs support nuclear security and mission-focused science through enhanced technology for safer and more efficient and secure production of nuclear energy. The high temperature moderator material yttrium hydride poses a significant enhancement in small reactor design by thermalizing (slowing down) neutrons and decreasing the required fuel mass for a system. The research presented here supports understanding hydrogen distribution in yttrium hydride through: (1) the development of neutron-based hydrogen imaging and crystallographic characterization that allows us to understand fundamental diffraction behaviors and to observe changes in hydrogen distribution as a function of temperature and (2) subsequent neutron multiplication (reactivity) effects of changes in hydrogen distribution using measurement-based cross sections in a sample microreactor design. The main conclusions from the work are that: (1) hydrogen does not redistribute significantly below temperatures of 800°C in yttrium hydride and (2) hydrogen redistribution affects the reactivity slightly but not significantly.
ISSN:1047-4838
1543-1851
DOI:10.1007/s11837-021-04898-2