Title:

BISON: Advanced Finite-Element Simulation of Nuclear Fuels

Speaker:

Dr. Ryan Sweet

Affiliation:

Idaho National Laboratory

When:

Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 1:00:00 PM   Add to Calendar

Where:

Boggs Building, Room 03-47

Host:

Yifeng Che
yifeng.che@me.gatech.edu

Abstract

Nuclear fuels are subject to a harsh environment spanning extremes in temperature, irradiation, and chemical exposure. To computationally evaluate the interplay of these conditions on the fuel and cladding evolution during reactor operation, the BISON fuel performance code has been developed. BISON is a state-of-the-art fuel performance code developed at Idaho National Laboratory and built upon the MOOSE Framework. Owing to the flexible nature of its finite-element framework and a host of developed physics and constitutive models, it can analyze the thermomechanical behavior of a variety of fuel types, including oxide, metallic, and advanced fuel forms (TRISO, dispersal fuel, etc.), making it a versatile tool for various reactor designs. This talk will provide an overview of several ongoing thermomechanical modeling efforts for a variety of fuel types spanning from accident tolerant fuel concepts for light water reactors to metallic and TRISO fuels for advanced reactors.

Biography

Dr. Ryan Sweet is a Modeling and Simulation Engineer at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), where he leads the BISON fuel performance code development team. His work focuses on assessing the thermomechanical performance and behavior of fuels and components under irradiation for a variety of reactor designs and scenarios. Prior to his tenure at INL, Dr. Sweet served as R&D Staff at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the Advanced Reactor Systems Engineering Group. There, he provided technical analysis of high burnup fuels for conventional light water reactors and metallic fuels. Dr. Sweet received his Doctorate degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Tennessee in 2018, where he was a Nuclear Engineering University Program Graduate Fellow. He also earned his Bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Tennessee in 2013. An active member of the American Nuclear Society, Dr. Sweet contributes to the executive and outreach committees of the Knoxville/Oak Ridge local section, reflecting his commitment to advancing the field of nuclear engineering and fostering community engagement.