A Correction Factor for In-Reactor Sintering of Fast Oxide Fuels

An in-reactor sintering phenomenon in high-temperature regions of oxide fuels results in the formation of a central void and a lowered peak temperature. A Sintering Correction Factor has been derived in terms of a basic fuel property (∫ kdT, where k is the thermal conductivity and T is the temperature) to help optimize the maximum allowable linear heat rate in fast reactor fuel pin design.