The unsteady-state thermohydraulic calculation of a stacked core

NIKIÉT. Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 75, No. 4, pp. 265-269, October, 1993.     

A two-dimensional thermohydraulic calculation on the core of pressurized water reactor

Nuclear Research and Nuclear Power Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 73, No. 5, pp. 397–400, November, 1992.     

Calculation of the thermohydraulic parameters of a core comprised of unjacketed fuel assemblies

A computer program for calculating the thermohydraulic parameters of a core with jacketless fuel assemblies as a single mass of fuel elements is developed on the basis of the Kedr program for the channelwise computation. The Kedr-A program algorithm employs the principle of decomposition (partition) to the computed region of the core (1/12th part). The computational space is divided into a definite number of subregions – symmetry elements with repeatable geometric structure of the lattice of fuel elements and other structural components of the core. The thermohydraulic parameters of the cells in each section of the core are calculated iteratively over the symmetry elements of the jacket-less fuel assemblies of 1/12th part of the core of a nuclear reactor with water coolant. The symmetry elements are interrelated by the conditions at the boundaries connecting theses regions. The computational algorithm is checked by comparing with experimental data on the mixing of the coolant obtained on a technological stand consisting seven jacketless fuel assemblies.     

Reactor core design of Gas Turbine High Temperature Reactor 300

Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) has been designing Japan’s original gas turbine high temperature reactor, Gas Turbine High Temperature Reactor 300 (GTHTR300). The greatly simplified design based on salient features of the High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) with a closed helium gas turbine enables the GTHTR300 a highly efficient and economically competitive reactor to be deployed in early 2010s. Also, the GTHTR300 fully taking advantage of various experiences accumulated in design, construction and operation of the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) and existing fossil fired gas turbine systems reduces technological development concerning a reactor system and electric generation system. Original design features of this system are the reactor core design based on a newly proposed refueling scheme named sandwich shuffling, conventional steel material usage for a reactor pressure vessel (RPV), an innovative coolant flow scheme and a horizontally installed gas turbine unit. The GTHTR300 can be continuously operated without the refueling for 2 years. Due to these salient features, the capital cost of the GTHTR300 is less than a target cost of 200,000 yen (1667 US$)/kW e, and the electric generation cost is close to a target cost of 4 yen (3.3 US cents)/kW h.

This paper describes the original design features focusing on the reactor core design and the in-core structure design, including the innovative coolant flow scheme for cooling the RPV. The present study is entrusted from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.     

输运方法求解堆芯均匀化问题

研究不连续因子在输运方法求解堆芯均匀化问题中的应用。选用的计算方法为二维离散纵标法(SN),重点讨论了普通燃料组件和强吸收的控制棒组件的均匀化处理。将不连续因子引入SN方法中、给出了两种不连续因子的求解方法以及修正控制棒组件均匀化吸收截面的修正因子。通过两个典型例题的计算显示改进效果。     

Simulation of reactivity transients in a miniature neutron source reactor core

Computer simulation was carried out for reactivity induced transients in a HEU core of a tank-in-pool reactor, a miniature neutron source reactor (MNSR). The reactivity transients without scram at initial power of 3 W were studied. From the low power level, the power steadily increased with time and then rose sharply to higher peak values followed by a gradual decrease in value due to temperature feedback effects. The trends of theoretical results were found to be similar to measured values and the peak powers agreed well with experimental results. For ramp reactivity equivalent of clean core cold excess reactivity of 4 mk (4×10⁻³ Δk/k), the predicted peak power of 100.8 kW agrees favourably with the experimental value of 100.2 kW. The measured outlet temperature of 72.6 °C is also in agreement with the calculated value of 72.9 °C for the release of the core excess reactivity. Theoretical results for the postulated accidents due to fresh fuel replacement of reactivity worth 6.71 mk and addition of incorrect thickness of Be plates resulting in 9 mk reactivity insertion were 187.23 and 254.3 kW, respectively. For these high peak powers associated with these reactivity insertions, it is expected that nucleate boiling will occur within the flow channels of the reactor core.     

Modelling nonstationary thermohydrodynamic processes in heat-exchange circuits with a two-phase coolant

Khar'kov Aviation Institute. Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 73, No. 6, pp. 439-442, December, 1992.     

Reactor core power measurement using Cherenkov radiation and its application in Tehran Research Reactor

Cherenkov radiation is a process that could be used as an extra channel for power measurement to enhance redundancy and diversity of a reactor. This is especially easy to establish in a pool type research reactor. A simple photo diode array is used in Tehran Research Reactor to measure and display power in parallel with the existing conventional detectors. Experimental measurements on this channel showed that a good linearity exists above 100 kW range. The system has been in use for more than a year and has shown reliability and precision. Nevertheless, the system is subject to further modifications, in particular for application to lower power ranges.     

三维离散纵标方法在中国实验快堆堆芯屏蔽计算中的应用

离散纵标(又称SN)方法是反应堆屏蔽计算中常用的方法,随着计算能力的发展和离散纵标计算方法的不断完善,使得离散纵标方法在反应堆的屏蔽计算中得到了广泛的应用。本文以中国实验快堆(CEFR)堆芯为研究对象,使用三维离散纵标方法对区域功率份额、组件功率、DPA、寿期内堆芯围板积分快中子注量及寿期内小栅板联箱积分快中子注量进行了计算研究,并与二维离散纵标法和俄罗斯设计报告结果进行对比。研究结果表明:三维离散纵标方法能够减少二维程序几何等效过程中导致的误差,计算结果可靠,可应用于大型快堆堆芯的屏蔽设计中。     

Neutron-physical and thermohydraulic calculations of VVR-SM with high-and low-enrichment uranium fuel assemblies

The VVR-SM reactor at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan is being converted from fuel assemblies with high-enrichment uranium (36% ²³⁵U) to fuel assemblies with low-enrichment uranium (19.7% ²³⁵U). During the conversion process consisting of nine cycles, the IRT-3M fuel assemblies with high-enrichment uranium, which are removed at the end of each cycle, will be replaced with IRT-4M fuel assemblies with low-enrichment uranium. This will require increasing the core size up to 20 fuel assemblies and increasing the power of the reactor to 11 MW. The methods used for and the results of neutron-physical calculations (burnup, power distribution, subcriticality), thermohydraulic analysis, and calculations of the kinetic parameters of a stable state are described for a core with high-enrichment uranium, a mixed core, and the first full core with low-enrichment uranium. __________ Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 104, No. 5, pp. 269–273, May, 2008.     

Conceptual core design of Advanced Recycling Reactor based on mature technologies

This paper presents about comprehensive investigations into Advanced Recycling Reactor (ARR) based on existing and/or mature technologies (called “Early ARR”), aiming transuranics (TRU) burning and considering harmonization of TRU burning capability, technology readiness, economy and safety. The ARR is a 500 MW_e (1180 MW_th) oxide fueled sodium cooled fast reactor, which the low core height of 70 cm and the large structure volume fraction with 1.0 mm of cladding thickness to tube wall have been chosen among 14 candidate concepts to reduce the TRU conversion ratio (CR) and the void reactivity, taking technology readiness into account. As a result of nuclear calculation, the ARR has TRU burning capability from 19 to 21 kg/TW_thh and is sustainable in recycling. And the ARR can accept several kinds of TRU; the LWR uranium oxide fuels, LWR-MOX used nuclear fuel, and TRU recycled in this fuel cycle and the ARR is also flexible in TRU management in ways that it can transform from TRU CR of 0.56 to breeding ratio (BR) of 1.03. In addition, it has been confirmed that the ARR core conforms to the set design requirements; the void reactivity, the maximum linear heat rate, and the shutdown margin of reactivity control system. It has been confirmed that the closed fuel cycle with the ARR plants of 180 GW_th will not release TRU outside and generate more electricity by 65% compared with the present nuclear power system in the US, curbing the risk of nuclear proliferation. Thus the study can conclude that the Early ARR is able to close nuclear fuel cycle, using mature technologies and has features of the sustainability in recycling, and the accommodation of almost all the TRU at present and in the future, and the flexibility in TRU management with breakeven core.     

Meeting fuel temperature limits in an HTR-Module Reactor during depressurized core heat-up

The thermal behaviour of an HTR-Module Reactor is discussed for the design basis event of core heat-up after fast depressurization taking into account the most unfavourable initial state and uncertainties of input data. The reactor is designed to retain its fission products inside the fuel coatings even if all active components for decay heat removal and reactivity control should fail. To meet this goal maximum fuel temperatures during core heat-up should not exceed the technological limit of 1620°C, for which the integrity of the fuel coatings has been proven experimentally.Two-dimensional thermal-hydraulic calculations show that the maximum fuel temperature during core heat-up is expected to be 1472°C taking into account nominal full power operation as an initial state, a sudden depressurization in the beginning of the event, and nominal input data. The most unfavourable initial state is the steady state operation close to the scram set points, i.e. 105% power and increased cold and hot gas temperatures. Accounting for this leads to a maximum fuel temperature of 1522°C. Relevant uncertainties of input data are those of decay heat production, power distribution and core thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity. Their individual standard deviations can be combined to an integral uncertainty margin of ±86 K which covers two standard deviations. Hence the maximum fuel temperature taking into account unfavourable initial state and uncertainties is 1608°C.     

Preliminary study of parameter uncertainty influence on Pressurized Water Reactor core design

Sub-channel analysis can improve the accuracy of reactor core thermal design. However, the important initial parameters contain various uncertainties during reactor operation. In this work, the Sub-channel Analysis Code of Supercritical reactor (SACOS) code, which is also applicable for Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR), was used to study the coolant flow characteristic and fuel rod heat transfer characteristic of 1/8 assembly which has the maximum linear power density in 300 MWe PWR core firstly. Then the Wilks' method and Response Surface Method (RSM) were utilized to determine the influence of sub-channel input parameters uncertainties on the highest temperature of reactor core fuel rod and Minimum Departure from Nucleate Boiling Ratio (MDNBR). The results show that in the most conservative conditions, the maximum temperature of the fuel rod and MDNBR were 2167.4 °C and 1.08, respectively. Considering the uncertainties of assembly inlet flow rate, inlet coolant temperature and system pressure, the 95% probability values (with 95% confidence) of fuel rod maximum and MDNBR calculated using response surface methodology were 2144.0 °C and 1.6, while they were 2137 °C and 1.74 calculated by Wilks' approach. Results show that the uncertainty analysis methods can provide larger reactor design criteria margin to improve the economy of reactor. Furthermore, the code was developed to have the capacity to perform the uncertainty study of sub-channel calculation.     

Nuclear mechanism for TRU burning oxide fueled core in Advanced Recycling Reactor

This paper presents an approximation approach to predict the core characteristics based on parametric survey and an analysis of nuclear mechanism in a conceptual nuclear design for enhanced transuranics (TRU) burning mixed oxide fueled and sodium cooled fast reactor which can be realized in the near future. The design study of Advanced Recycling Reactor was conducted in the context of the program for the industry in Global Nuclear Energy Partnership initiatives, including a core in the first plant for demonstration and cores with enhanced TRU burning capability for the future plants. Both concepts for the first plant; low core height and large volume fraction of structure are deployed, seeking small TRU conversion ratio (CR)^* and small void reactivity which are crucial in the design, but different approaches. In this paper, the TRU CR and the sodium void reactivity have been approximated with a single equation in these concepts, based on the theoretical formula related to the chain reaction in the reactor and the calculation results. Shortening the core height and increasing the structure volume fraction will enhance TRU enrichment through increased neutron leakage and capture, which will reduce a ratio of U-238 to sum of Pu-239 and Pu-241 so that TRU CR decreases from 0.78 to 0.57. A small ratio of sodium loss to plutonium fissile will be effective also in the reduction of positive reactivity effect by spectral hardening. On the other hand, when this ratio and geometrical buckling of flux reduce, negative contribution by the neutron leakage becomes small. Theses relations related to the positive void reactivity have been formularized by the approximation with few parameters within several percent respectively as well as the TRU CR, indicating that one of dominating parameters is the ratio of sodium loss to plutonium fissile in the void reactivity at large fast reactors. * = (1 − net loss of TRU/loss of heavy metal).     

Reactor core isolation cooling system analysis of the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2 accident with RELAP/ScdapSIM

The reactor core isolation cooling (RCIC) system is an auxiliary system of a boiling water reactor (BWR) that provides makeup water in the case of a severe accident. During the Fukushima accident, the extended operation of the RCIC had a large influence on the accident progression and delayed the core meltdown by almost 70 h. During the Fukushima accident, the water level in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) was assumed to rise enough to flood the main steam line (MSL), which caused the water to move through the RCIC steam turbine and reduce the overall system water injection capability. A RELAP/ScdapSIM analysis was carried out by using RCIC nodalization to reproduce the Fukushima accident and evaluate the impact of the RCIC system on the accident progression. A coefficient based on the critical flow model was included in the RELAP/ScdapSIM source code to reproduce the degradation suffered by the turbine due to the presence of water. Although highly simplified, the analysis demonstrated the RCIC system's feedback capability, which allows the RCIC to control the plant conditions for a long period of time without any human interaction.