Investigation of the fission gas release and grain boundary percolation in oxide fuels: A COMSOL multiphysics-based study

In this study, we explore fission gas release (FGR) behaviour in oxide fuels using the COMSOL Multiphysics framework. Building upon the conventional Booth model, our model incorporates the influence of grain boundary network percolation on FGR. The microstructure of the fuel pellet is represented by a 2D axi-symmetric geometry. We investigate various factors affecting FGR, mainly includes bubble contact angle, resolution rate, radial position. This study aims to capture the physical phenomena observed in FGR experiments and assess the sensitivity of FGR to these parameters at both microscopic and macroscopic scales. Moreover, our model accounts for long-range percolation on the networked grain boundaries, a factor overlooked by the Booth model. The gas resolution of grain boundaries is also considered. Finally, we compare and analyze the results obtained from our model with those from the Booth model and other relevant models, aiming at enhancing our understanding of FGR behavior in oxide fuels.