PhD Studentship: Developing a Finite Element Based Model for Pellet Relocation in Nuclear Reactor Fuel
Overview
The School of Engineering, Mathematics and Physics at the University of East Anglia is offering a PhD studentship on developing a finite element based model for pellet relocation in nuclear reactor fuel. The primary supervisor is Dr Thomas Anthony Haynes. Pellet-clad interaction is a complicated phenomenon that current commercial fuel performance codes capture relatively poorly. Models built in the finite element software Abaqus capture it in light water reactors and in the UK advanced gas cooled reactor, but COMSOL offers the potential to represent a fuller range of physical behaviour, notably the inertial behaviour of fuel pellet fragments and the migration of several chemical species. The motion of pellet fragments is of great importance when predicting fuel behaviour during loss-of-coolant accidents.
The project aims to carry out a literature review of fuel performance codes with an emphasis on pellet-clad interaction, assess how COMSOL could capture each physical process important in fuel performance, benchmark the model against other codes, particularly the mortar method in BISON, validate it against experimental data and the OECD Pellet-Cladding Mechanical Interaction benchmark exercises, and identify areas for future development, including routes to modelling postulated idealised loss-of-coolant accidents.
Who can apply
The minimum entry requirement is a 2:1 in engineering, physics or materials science. The successful candidate will work closely with Amentum staff and must obtain Baseline Personnel Security Standard vetting during the PhD, with no impediment to obtaining Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance afterwards.
What you get
The full-time 3.5-year studentship is fully funded by Amentum. Funding covers tuition fees at the home-fee rate, an annual tax-free stipend starting at £23,805 in 2026/27, and a substantial research training support grant that pays for a laptop, travel to Amentum sites and conference attendance.
Key dates
The closing date is 23 November 2026, and the studentship starts on 1 February 2027.