Preliminary tritium safety analysis on China DFLL-TBM for ITER

The dual-functional lithium-lead test blanket module (DFLL-TBM) system was proposed to be tested in ITER. A tritium permeation model of the entire DFLL-TBM system was developed, and the tritium permeation and inventory in DFLL-TBM system were done based on the model during normal operation. Three classes of off-normal situations had been preliminarily analyzed, i.e. in-vessel TBM coolant leaks, in-TBM breeder box coolant leaks and ex-vessel TBM ancillary coolant leaks. The results showed that some issues required significant R&D effort to guarantee the tritium release to the environment below the allowable level, such as the tritium extraction from LiPb and helium coolant and very efficient detritiation system. And more analyses would be carried in the future to further assess the safety of DFLL-TBM.     

Preliminary thermal hydraulic safety analysis of water-cooled ceramic breeder blanket for CFETR

The Chinese fusion engineering test reactor (CFETR) was expected to bridge from the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) to the demonstration fusion reactor (DEMO). The water-cooled ceramic breeder (WCCB) blanket is one of the blanket candidates for CFETR. In this paper, preliminary thermal hydraulic safety analyses have been carried out using the system safety analysis code RELAP5 originally developed for light water fission reactors. The pulse operation and three typical loss of coolant accidents (LOCAs), namely, in-vessel LOCA, in-box LOCA, and ex-vessel LOCA, were simulated based on steady-state initialization. Simulation results show that important thermal hydraulic parameters, such as pressure and temperature can meet the design criterion which preliminarily verifies the feasibility of the WCCB blanket from the safety point of view.     

LOCA analysis of reactor cores with tight lattice using the modified RELAP5 code

The previous paper analyzed the reflooding phase of reactor cores with tight lattice. Models calculating the wall to fluid heat transfer in the precursory cooling region and in the vicinity of the quench front were developed and validated in the previous paper (Wu et al., 2012). In this paper, these newly developed models were used to modify RELAP5/MOD3.2 in order to make the code be suitable for tight lattice. Besides, minor modifications to the wall friction model and bubbly-slug interfacial drag model were done. Then the newly developed code RELAP5/MOD3.2/TIGHT was used to analyze the LOCA transients of conceptually designed reactor cores with three types of tight lattice. The results showed that the peak cladding temperatures in the reflooding phase are much higher than that in the blow-down phase. Through comparison between the calculation results of LOCA transients of the three types of tight lattice, it was found that with smaller pitch to diameter ratio, the peak cladding temperature was much higher. LPIS injection flow rate should be increased in order to keep the rod cladding temperature be within the LOCA criteria. Steam generation will prevent the coolant from flowing downstream of the channel in reactor cores with a very small flow area. From the reactor safety aspect and the economic aspect, we do not recommend that reactor cores be designed with p/d ratio less than 1.10.     

用RELAP5分析RD-14装置的破口实验

用RELAP5 /MOD3 .2程序模拟了在RD 1 4实验装置上进行的两个CANDU反应堆临界破口实验。对破口出现以后 ,冷却剂系统压力、堆芯压降和元件包壳温度的变化趋势进行了研究 ,计算结果和实验数据符合较好 ,表明用RELAP5程序模拟CANDU反应堆在LOCA事故后系统瞬变是可行的     

Preliminary safety analysis on loss of flow accidents and external source transients for LBE cooled ADSR core

In this paper, preliminary safety studies on the 800 MWth accelerator-driven system (ADS) proposed by Xi'an Jiaotong university are presented. The system is a pool type facility coupling a proton accelerator with current in the range of 17–23 mA and a sub-critical core by means of a spallation target. The RELAP5/MOD3.3 code is selected as a base tool. In order to simulate the system, the point kinetics model is modified and the property of lead-bismuth is implemented to meet the requirement of ADS analysis. This paper focuses on the assessment of its response to the loss of flow events. The first part is originated from the failure of the pump and the second part derives from the significant flow blockage at a fuel assembly inlet. The reactivity insertion accidents are caused by the change of the proton beam current. The results show that the safety and criteria are satisfied and the system is tolerant to the loss of flow accidents and proton beam doubled accident and is sensitive to the external neutron changing.     

Thermal-hydraulics analysis during fuel element failure in an operating PWR

The fuel element failure in an operating pressurized water reactor (PWR), including fuel element breaks, has an effect on the operation safety of PWR. In this paper, the RELAP5 model of the fuel element failure is established for the safety analysis. The RELAP5 time step sensitivity analyses for the element pre-break steady and post-break transient simulation are carried out. And the variations of main thermal-hydraulics parameters related to the fuel element break are quantitatively studied, which include the internal gap pressure and the maximum fuel pellet temperature as well as the releasement of noncondensables in the gap. It is found that (1) the results by the RELAP5 code is very sensitive to the time step in a volume system with the noncondensables, and the time step sensitivity analysis is necessary if the effective time step range is unknown, (2) the larger the break area is, the more quickly the gap pressure increases and the maximum pellet temperature reaches to the stable value, (3) when the gap pressure increases and reaches to the coolant pressure, at the break the liquid inflow from coolant to gap will be turned to the vapor outflow from gap to coolant, (4) during the failure transient, the gap thermal conductivity experiences a sharp decrease in the break instant, which results in the decrease of heat transferred to cladding and the sharp decrease of cladding temperature as well as the sharp increase of minimum departure from nucleate boiling ratio (MDNBR). These conclusions can provide the basic for the operation safety analysis of PWR during the fuel element failure.     

中国核动力研究设计院研究堆安全分析

本文就高通量工程试验堆、岷江试验堆和中国脉冲堆特点作出比较，重点分析高通量工程试验堆的安全性。经过比较，中国脉冲具有良好的安全性，安全性远比岷江试验堆和高通量工程试验堆好；高通量工程试验堆由于建造时间早，功率规模大，风险程度比岷江试验堆高。因此，必须加强高通量工程试验堆安全整治，才能确保该反应堆运行安全。     

Development of a reduced order model for severe accident analysis codes by singular value decomposition aiming probabilistic safety margin analysis

ABSTRACT

Severe accident codes (e.g. MAAP, RELAP, and MELCORE) model various physical phenomena during severe accidents. Many analyses using these codes for safety margin evaluation are impractical due to large computational costs. Surrogate models have an advantage of quickly reproducing multiple results with a low computational cost. In this study, we apply the singular value decomposition to the time-series results of a severe accident code to develop a reduced order modeling (ROM). Using the ROM, the probabilistic safety margin analysis for the station blackout with a total loss of feedwater capabilities at a boiling water reactor is carried out. The dominant parameters to the accident progression are assumed to be the down-time and the recovery-time of the reactor core isolation cooling system, and decay heat. To reduce the number of RELAP5/SCDAPSIM analyses while maintaining the prediction accuracy of ROM, we develop a data sampling method based on adaptive sampling, which selects the new sampling data based on the dissimilarity with the existing training data for ROM. Our ROM can rapidly reproduce the time-series results and can estimate core conditions. By reproducing multiple results by ROM, a time-dependent core damage probability distribution is calculated instead of the direct use of RELAP5/SCDAPSIM.     

ARIES-AT safety design and analysis

ARIES-AT is a 1000 MWe conceptual fusion power plant design with a very low projected cost of electricity. The design contains many innovative features to improve both the physics and engineering performance of the system. From the safety and environmental perspective, there is greater depth to the overall analysis than in past ARIES studies. For ARIES-AT, the overall spectrum of off-normal events to be examined has been broadened. They include conventional loss of coolant and loss of flow events, an ex-vessel loss of coolant, and in-vessel off-normal events that mobilize in-vessel inventories (e.g., tritium and tokamak dust) and bypass primary confinement such as a loss of vacuum and an in-vessel loss of coolant with bypass. This broader examination of accidents improves the robustness of the design from the safety perspective and gives additional confidence that the facility can meet the no-evacuation requirement under average weather conditions. We also provide a systematic assessment of the design to address key safety functions such as confinement, decay heat removal, and chemical energy control. In the area of waste management, both the volume of the component and its hazard are used to classify the waste. In comparison to previous ARIES designs, the overall waste volume is less because of the compact design.     

Analysis of loss of coolant accident in MTR pool type research reactor

In MTR research reactors, heat removal is, safely performed by forced convection during normal operation and by natural convection after reactor shutdown for residual decay heat removal. However, according to the duration time of operation at full power, it may be required to maintain the forced convection, for a certain period of time after the reactor shutdown. This is among the general requirements for the overall safety engineering features of MTR research reactors to ensure a safe residual heat removal. For instance, in safety analysis of research reactors, initiating events that may challenge the safe removal of residual heat must be identified and analyzed.In the present work, it was assumed a total loss of coolant accident in a typical MTR nuclear research reactor with the objective of examining the core behavior and the occurrence of any fuel damage.For this purpose, the IAEA 10 MW benchmark core, which is a representative of medium power pool type MTR research reactors, was chosen herein in order to investigate the evolution of cladding temperature through the use of a best estimate thermalhydraulic system code RELAP5/mod3.2.     

Numerical simulation of AP1000 LBLOCA with SCDAP/RELAP 4.0 code

The risk of large-break loss of coolant accident (LBLOCA) is that core will be exposed once the accident occurs, and may cause core damages. New phenomena may occur in LBLOCA due to passive safety injection adopted by AP1000. This paper used SCDAP/RELAP5 4.0 to build the numerical model of AP1000 and double-end guillotine of cold leg is simulated. Reactor coolant system and passive core cooling system were modeled by RELAP5 modular. HEAT STRUCTURE component of RELAP5 was used to simulate the fuel rod. The reflood option in RELAP5 was chosen to be activated or not to study the effect of axial heat conduction. Results show that the axial heat conduction plays an important role in the reflooding phase and can effectively shorten reflood process. An alternative core model is built by SCDAP modular. It is found that the SCDAP model predicts higher maximum peak cladding temperature and longer reflood process than RELAP5 model. Analysis shows that clad oxidation heat plays a key role in the reflood. From the simulation results, it can be concluded that the cladding will keep intact and fission product will not be released from fuel to coolant in LBLOCA.     

Feasibility study of applying the passive safety system concept to fusion–fission hybrid reactor

The fusion–fission hybrid reactor can produce energy, breed nuclear fuel, and handle the nuclear waste, etc., with the fusion neutron source striking the subcritical blanket. The passive safety system consists of passive residual heat removal system, passive safety injection system and automatic depressurization system was adopted into the fusion–fission hybrid reactor in this paper. Modeling and nodalization of primary loop, partial secondary loop and passive core cooling system for the fusion–fission hybrid reactor using relap5 were conducted and small break LOCA on cold leg was analyzed. The results of key transient parameters indicated that the actuation of passive safety system could mitigate the accidental consequence of the 4-inch cold leg small break LOCA on cold leg in the early time effectively. It is feasible to apply the passive safety system concept to fusion–fission hybrid reactor. The minimum collapsed liquid level had great increase if doubling the volume of CMTs to increase its coolant injection and had no increase if doubling the volume of ACCs.     

10 MW固态燃料熔盐实验堆安全分析关键技术初步研究

钍基熔盐反应堆(Thorium Molten Salt Reactor,TMSR)项目是中国科学院科技先导项目之一。基于10 MW热功率熔盐反应堆-固体燃料(Thorium Molten Salt Reactor-Solid Fuel,TMSR-SF)的设计,对TMSR的关键技术安全分析进行了初步研究。TMSR-SF与现有反应堆之间的差异对核安全审查提出挑战,TMSR-SF审查方法的研究将准备其安全审查的技术和要求。固态燃料熔盐实验堆安全分析关键技术初步研究包含4个方面:堆芯核设计关键安全限值、事故序列及验收准则、源项及其审评方法和验收准则、概率安全评价方法和始发事件。首先对其它类型反应堆的安全审查方法进行了研究,对其关键参数和重要规定做了概述,并借鉴了高温气体冷堆和钠冷却快堆的审评要求和方法;然后使用蒙特卡罗和其他方法、模型来计算TMSR-SF的关键参数。应用逻辑图方法讨论概率风险评价(Probabilistic Risk Assessment,PRA)方法和始发事件清单。在本研究中,计算了核心核设计安全限值,研究和讨论事故列表和分类,讨论了TMSR-SF的PRA框架和始发事件清单,该研究将支持TMSR-SF的安全审查和安全设计。     

核电厂汽轮机详细数值建模研究及其瞬态分析

以岭澳一期核电厂汽轮机部件为原型,利用系统程序RELAP5对其进行详细数值建模研究。通过在100%功率稳态工况下的计算证明,详细的汽轮机数值建模弥补了简化建模中焓值计算误差较大的缺陷。将详细的汽轮机数值建模整合到全范围核电厂热力系统模型中进行瞬态分析,并与岭澳一期核电厂原始实验报告中汽轮机负荷从97%功率水平阶跃变化至87%功率水平瞬态运行工况的数据曲线进行对比。结果表明,稳态模型的焓计算值与电厂实际值误差在2%以内,瞬态模型的分析参数趋势符合电厂实际情况。     

The influence of ocean conditions on thermal-hydraulic characteristics of a passive residual heat removal system

There are many differences between the flow and heat transfer characteristics of nuclear reactors under ocean and land-based conditions for the effects of ocean waves. In this paper, thermal hydraulic characteristics of a passive residual heat removal system (PRHRS) for an integrated pressurized water reactor (IPWR) in ocean environment were investigated theoretically. A series of reasonable theoretical models for a PRHRS in an IPWR were established. These models mainly include the core, once-through steam generator, nitrogen pressurizer, main coolant pump, flow and heat transfer and ocean motion models. The flow and heat transfer models are suitable for the core with plate-type fuel element and the once-through steam generator with annular channel, respectively. A transient analysis code in FORTRAN 90 format has been developed to analyze the thermal–hydraulic characteristics of the PRHRS under ocean conditions. The code was implemented to analyze the effects of different ocean motions on the transient thermal-hydraulic characteristics of PRHRS. It is found that the oscillating amplitudes and periods of the system parameters are determined by those of the ocean motions. The effect of rolling motion is more obvious than that of pitching motion when the amplitudes and periods of rolling and pitching motions are the same. The obtained analysis results are significant to the improvement design of the PRHRS and the safety operation of the IPWR.     

Development of nuclear power plant real-time engineering simulator

A nuclear power plant real-time engineering simulator was developed based on general-purpose thermal-hydraulic system simulation code RELAPS. It mainly consists of three parts: improved thermal-hydraulic system simulation code RELAP5, control and protection system and human-machine interface. A normal transient of CHASHMA nuclear power plant turbine step load change from 100% to 90% of full power, was simulated by the engineering simulator as an application example. This paper presents structure and main features of the engineering simulator, and application results are shown and discussed.     

船用堆失水事故下堆舱模型敏感性分析

船用堆堆舱在空间布局和结构尺寸上与核电厂安全壳有较大的差异,失水事故下堆舱的温度压力变化也更为剧烈,堆舱热工水力特性分析模型的优劣对掌握事故下的堆舱响应特性有较大影响。本文利用RELAP5/MOD3.2程序对船用堆堆舱进行了建模,分析比较了假想失水事故期间包括6种控制体方案下的堆舱压力、温度等参数的变化,探讨了不同方案的特点,得到了优化的控制体划分方案。本文对分析船用堆失水事故下堆舱舱室热工水力响应特性、评估堆舱安全性有一定的参考价值。     

核电站整体实验回路PMK-NVH装置模拟的小破口失水事故的分析计算

一、前言核电站的假想小破口失水事故是核电安全热工水力分析的一个重要方面,特别是在美国三里岛事故后,更加引起人们的重视。在国际原子能机构的组织下,作者根据匈牙利科学院提供的资料,使用核电安全分析     

RELAP5程序耦合接口的开发

以RELAP5程序为对象,研究其内部编程结构,建立了包括耦合参数输出、输入和时间步长控制的耦合接口模型,并利用并行虚拟机(PVM)技术对耦合接口进行了编程实现.两种类型的耦合测试计算表明,RELAP5耦合接口的开发足成功的,可以作为与其他程序耦合的基础.     

SGTR事故二次侧安全阀卡开后的降温降压分析

为完善恰希玛核电厂二期工程的概率安全分析模型,在建立事件树模型时需结合电厂的实际情况进行相应的热工水力计算分析,以确定事件树的成功准则要求,并确定操纵员干预事故的允许时间要求。本文应用热工水力系统分析程序RELAP5/MOD3模拟分析论证了在SGTR事故二次侧安全阀卡开、辅助给水系统失效且仅一台高压安注有效工况下,如果操纵员在安注信号触发150min后采取相应措施实施反应堆冷却剂系统降温降压操作的事故过程。分析结果表明,在破损SG一、二次侧压力平衡在一个大气压,终止破口流量的过程中,反应堆堆芯被冷却剂有效淹没。