Publications by Edoardo Luciano Brunetto

Preliminary Sensitivity Analysis of Time-Dependent Code Outputs in Fuel Performance Models Using OFFBEAT for Future Calibration

Mathieu Hursin, Alessandro Scolaro, Edoardo Luciano Brunetto

Fuel performance codes are essential for predicting fuel rod behavior in nuclear reactors. These codes comprise a complex system of models with empirical constants that require calibration against experimental data. To support this calibration, this study ...

American Nuclear Society2025

Development of a dynamic-mesh porosity transport model for multi-dimensional fuel performance codes

Andreas Pautz, Alessandro Scolaro, Edoardo Luciano Brunetto

The porosity redistribution within nuclear fuel pellets exposed to high power ratings plays a critical role in the thermo-mechanical behavior of fast reactor fuel. Traditional fuel performance codes predict porosity migration through advection-dominated tr ...

2025

Advancing Multi-Dimensional Simulation of Nuclear Fuel Behavior: from LOCA Analysis to Fast Reactor Applications

Edoardo Luciano Brunetto

Current research on nuclear fuel focuses on two primary objectives. The first is to optimize the fuel used in the current generation of nuclear reactors in terms of safety, efficiency, and economics. This has driven efforts to increase discharge burnup and ...

EPFL2025

PuMMA blind benchmark: Performance of high plutonium content MOX fuel under irradiation

Carlo Fiorina, Alessandro Scolaro, Edoardo Luciano Brunetto

This paper presents the results of the first phase of the benchmark exercise in the PuMMA project, aimed at extending the reliability of fuel performance codes for Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuels with high plutonium content. The exercise involved the simulation of ...

2025

Extension of the OFFBEAT fuel performance code to finite strains and validation against LOCA experiments

Andreas Pautz, Carlo Fiorina, Alessandro Scolaro, Edoardo Luciano Brunetto

The mechanical analysis of nuclear fuel behavior under base-irradiation conditions has traditionally been performed adopting the small-strain approximation. However, many cases of interest for fuel behavior involve the occurrence of large rod deformations ...

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA2023

Towards coupling conventional with high-fidelity fuel behavior analysis tools

Andreas Pautz, Carlo Fiorina, Alessandro Scolaro, Edoardo Luciano Brunetto

Multi-dimensional fuel performance codes have the potential to enhance the understanding of complex phenomena affecting fuel integrity, but their application is often limited by the high computational cost. Recognizing that many multi-dimensional aspects s ...

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD2022

Implementation of a multidimensional diffusion-based neutronics solver in OFFBEAT

Carlo Fiorina, Alessandro Scolaro, Edoardo Luciano Brunetto

The OpenFOAM Fuel BEhavior Analysis Tool OFFBEAT is a multi-dimensional fuel performance code under development at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), in Switzerland. The latest developments are orient ...

American Nuclear Society2022

Development in OFFBEAT of a dynamic-mesh incremental stress-strain solver and validation against the IFA 650.2 ballooning experiment

Andreas Pautz, Carlo Fiorina, Alessandro Scolaro, Edoardo Luciano Brunetto

OFFBEAT is a 1D, 2D and 3D fuel behavior code under development at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). In this paper, an incremental stress-strain solver with dynamic mesh update is presented and preli ...

American Nuclear Society2022