Publications Details
HEISHI: A fuel performance model for space nuclear applications
HEISHI is a Fortran computer model designed to aid in analysis, prediction, and optimization of fuel characteristics for use in Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (SNTP). Calculational results include fission product release rate, fuel failure fraction, mode of fuel failure, stress-strain state, and fuel material morphology. HEISHI contains models for decay chain calculations of retained and released fission products, based on an input power history and release coefficients. Decay chain parameters such as direct fission yield, decay rates, and branching fractions are obtained from a database. HEISHI also contains models for stress-strain behavior of multilayered fuel particles with creep and differential thermal expansion effects, transient particle temperature profile, grain growth, and fuel particle failure fraction. Grain growth is treated as a function of temperature; the failure fraction depends on the coating tensile strength, which in turn is a function of grain size. The HEISHI code is intended for use in analysis of coated fuel particles for use in particle bed reactors; however, much of the code is geometry-independent and applicable to fuel geometries other than spherical.