Developing and modeling of the “Laguna Verde” BWR CRDA benchmark

Reactivity initiated accidents (RIA) and design basis transients are one of the most important aspects related to nuclear power reactor safety. These events are re-evaluated whenever core alterations (modifications) are made as part of the nuclear safety analysis performed to a new design. These modifications usually include, but are not limited to, power upgrades, longer cycles, new fuel assembly and control rod designs, etc. The results obtained are compared with pre-established bounding analysis values to see if the new core design fulfills the requirements of safety constraints imposed on the design. The control rod drop accident (CRDA) is the design basis transient for the reactivity events of BWR technology. The CRDA is a very localized event depending on the control rod insertion position and the fuel assemblies surrounding the control rod falling from the core. A numerical benchmark was developed based on the CRDA RIA design basis accident to further asses the performance of coupled 3D neutron kinetics/thermal-hydraulics codes. The CRDA in a BWR is a mostly neutronic driven event. This benchmark is based on a real operating nuclear power plant — unit 1 of the Laguna Verde (LV1) nuclear power plant (NPP). The definition of the benchmark is presented briefly together with the benchmark specifications. Some of the cross-sections were modified in order to make the maximum control rod worth greater than one dollar. The transient is initiated at steady-state by dropping the control rod with maximum worth at full speed. The “Laguna Verde” (LV1) BWR CRDA transient benchmark is calculated using two coupled codes: TRAC-BF1/NEM and TRAC-BF1/ENTRÉE. Neutron kinetics and thermal hydraulics models were developed for both codes. Comparison of the obtained results is presented along with some discussion of the sensitivity of results to some modeling assumptions.     

Evaluation of LWR fuel rod behavior under operational transient conditions

To evaluate the effects of fission gas flow and diffusion in the fuel-cladding gap on fuel rod thermal and mechanical behaviors in light water reactor (LWR) fuel rods under operational transient conditions, computer sub-programs which can calculate the gas flow and diffusion have been developed and integrated into the LWR fuel rod performance code BEAF. This integrated code also calculates transient temperature distribution in the fuel-pellet and cladding.The integrated code was applied to an analysis of Inter Ramp Project data, which showed that by taking into account the gas flow and diffusion effects, the calculated cladding damage indices predicted for the failed rods in the ramp test were consistent with iodine-SCC (Stress Corrosion Cracking) failure conditions which were obtained from out-of-reactor pressurized tube experiments with irradiated Zircaloy claddings. This consistency was not seen if the gas flow and diffusion effects were neglected. Evaluation were also made for the BWR 8 × 8 RJ fuel rod temperatures under power ramp conditions.     

Analysis of the Peach Bottom flow stability test number 3 using the coupled RELAP5/PARCS code

Nowadays, the coupled codes technique, which consists in incorporating three-dimensional (3D) neutron modeling of the reactor core into system codes, is extensively used for carrying out best estimate (BE) simulation of complex transient in nuclear power plants (NPP). This technique is particularly suitable for transients that involve core spatial asymmetric phenomena and strong feedback effects between core neutronics and reactor loop thermal-hydraulics. Such complex interactions are encountered under normal and abnormal operating conditions of a boiling water reactors (BWR). In such reactors Oscillations may take place owing to the dynamic behavior of the liquid-steam mixture used for removing the thermal power. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to detect in a reliable way these oscillations. The purpose of this work is to characterize one aspect of these unstable behaviors using the coupled codes technique. The evaluation is performed against Peach Bottom-2 low-flow stability tests number 3 using the coupled RELAP5/PARCS code. In this transient dynamically complex neutron kinetics coupling with thermal-hydraulics events take place in response to a core pressure perturbation. The calculated coupled code results are herein assessed and compared against the available experimental data.     

Development of Parallel Coupling System between Three-Dimensional Nodal Kinetic Code ENTREE and Two-Fluid Plant Simulator TRAC/BF1

The high-speed three-dimensional neutron kinetic code ENTRÉE was developed based on the polynomial and semi-analytical nonlinear iterative nodal methods (PNLM and SANLM) with also introducing the discontinuity factor. In order to enhance the efficiency of transient calculation, the nonlinear correction-coupling coefficients are intermittently updated based on the changing rate of core state variables. By giving the analytical form for two-node problem matrix elements, the additional computing time in SANLM was minimized. A fast algorithm was developed for the multi table macro-cross section rebuilding process. The reactivity component model was implemented based on the variation of the neutron production and destruction terms. The code was coupled with the two-fluid thermal hydraulic plant simulator TRAC/BF1 through PVM or MPI protocols. Two codes are executed in parallel with exchanging the feedback parameters explicitly. Based on the LMW PWR transient benchmark, it was shown that both PNLM and SANLM spend less than 20% excess computing time in comparison with the coarse mesh finite difference method (CFDM). The implementation of the discontinuity factor was verified based on the DVP problem. Adequacy and parallel efficiency of the coupling system TRAC/BF1-ENTREE was demonstrated based on the BWR cold water injection transient proposed by NEA/CRP.     

Simulation of an hypothetical out-of-phase instability case in boiling water reactor by RELAP5/PARCS coupled codes

A very complex type of power instability occurring in boiling water reactor (BWR) consists of out-of-phase regional oscillations, in which normally subcritical neutronic modes are excited by thermal-hydraulic feedback mechanisms. The out-of-phase mode of oscillation is a very challenging type of instability and its study is relevant because of the safety implications related to the capability to promptly detect any such inadvertent occurrence by in-core neutron detectors, thus triggering the necessary countermeasures in terms of selected rod insertion or even reactor shutdown. In this work, simulations of out-of-phase instabilities in a BWR obtained by assuming an hypothetical continuous control rod bank withdrawal are being presented. The RELAP5/Mod3.3 thermal-hydraulic system code coupled with the PARCS/2.4 3D neutron kinetic code has been used to simulate the instability phenomenon. Data from a real BWR nuclear power plant (NPP) have been used as reference conditions and reactor parameters. Simulated neutronic power signals from local power range monitors (LPRM) have been used to detect and study the local power oscillations. The decay ratio (DR) and the natural frequency (NF) of the power oscillations (typical parameters used to evaluate the instabilities) have been used in the analysis. The results are discussed also making use of two-dimensional plots depicting relative core power distribution during the transient, in order to clearly illustrate the out-of-phase behavior.     

三维六角形组件压水堆堆芯燃料管理计算及程序系统研究

介绍所研制的WWER型压水堆堆芯燃料管理计算程序系统TPFAP-H／CSIM-H，六角形组件均匀化计算程序TPFAP-H是在压水堆正方形组件程序TPFAP的基础上，采用穿透概率法与响应矩阵方法相结合计算六角形组件内中子能谱分布，并考虑六角形栅元特点改造开发而成的CSIM-H是以先进六角形节块扩散程序为基础．参照SIMULATE程序功能而研制的物理-热工水力耦合的三维六角形节块PWR堆芯燃料管理程序两者通过接口程序LINK连接起来，可以考虑燃耗，功率、慢化剂密度变化．控制棒、氙等参数的多种反馈效应对IAEA的WWER-1000型Kalinin核电厂基准问题的校算的结果表明，临界硼浓度、功率和燃耗分布等结果与国际各研究机构的结果吻合良好，偏差均在工程要求之内。     

基于格林函数节块法的物理与热工-水力耦合方法研究

开发了三维物理与热工-水力耦合的PWR堆芯瞬态分析程序NGFMN-K/COBRA-Ⅳ/COBRA-Ⅳ(NCC)。少群时空中子动力学计算采用格林函数节块法程序NGFMN-K,隐式耦合子通道程序COBRA-Ⅳ实现瞬态计算。采用P10H8B功率重构方法给出热组件栅元功率分布,耦合另一个COBRA-Ⅳ程序模块,进行热组件子通道分析得到安全参数。对NEACRP-L-335 C1弹棒基准问题的计算表明,NCC程序的计算结果与参考结果符合很好,说明程序计算正确,可用于评估事故结果。     

Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses as a validation tool for BWR bundle thermal-hydraulic predictions

In recent years, more realistic safety analyses of nuclear reactors have been based on best estimate (BE) computer codes. The need to validate and refine BE codes that are used in the predictions of relevant reactor safety parameters, led to the organization of international benchmarks based on high quality experimental data. The OECD/NRC BWR full-size fine-mesh bundle test (BFBT) benchmark offers a good opportunity to assess the accuracy of thermal-hydraulic codes in predicting, among other parameters, single and two phase bundle pressure drop, cross-sectional averaged void fraction distributions and critical powers under a wide range of system conditions. The BFBT is based on a multi-rod assembly integral test facility which is able to simulate the high pressure, high temperature fluid conditions found in BWRs through electrically heated rod bundles. Since code accuracy is unavoidably affected by models and experimental uncertainties, an uncertainty analysis is fundamental in order to have a complete validation study. In this paper, statistical uncertainty and sensitivity analyses are used to validate the thermal-hydraulic features of the POLCA-T code, based on a one dimensional model of the following macroscopic BFBT exercises: (1) single and two phase bundle pressure drop, (2) steady-state cross-sectional averaged void fraction, (3) transient cross-sectional averaged void fraction and (4) steady-state critical power tests. The Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) strategy was chosen since it densely stratifies across the range of each uncertain input probability distribution, allowing a much better coverage of the input uncertainties than simple random sampling (SRS). The results show that POLCA-T predictions on pressure drop and void fractions under a wide range of conditions are within the validation limits imposed by the uncertainty analysis, while the accuracy of critical power predictions depends much on the boundary and input conditions.     

RIA基准题验证堆芯三维物理-热工耦合程序

以COBRA-Ⅳ和NLSANMT程序为基础,开发了堆芯三维物理-热工耦合程序C4/NK。针对两个典型的反应性引入事故（RIA）,即NEACRP弹棒基准题和提棒基准题,分别进行了验证计算。与参考值和其他程序的计算结果相比,C4/NK耦合程序具有较好的精度,能正确模拟瞬态过程中的物理-热工反馈现象。     

Analytical study on effects of BWR fuel spacer on droplet deposition

In a boiling water nuclear reactor (BWR), liquid film dryout may occur on a fuel rod surface when the fuel assembly power exceeds the critical power. The spacers supporting fuel rods affect on the thermal-hydraulic performance of the fuel assembly. The spacer is designed to enhance critical power significantly. If spacer effects for two-phase flow could be estimated analytically, the cost and time for the development of the advanced BWR fuel would be certainly decreased. The final goal of this study is to be able to analytically predict the critical power of a new BWR fuel assembly without any thermal-hydraulic tests. Initially, we developed the finite element code to estimate spacer effects on the droplet deposition. Then, using the developed code, the spacer effects were estimated for various spacer geometries in a plane channel and one subchannel of BWR fuel bundle. The estimated results of the spacer effects showed a possibility to analytically predict the critical power of a BWR fuel assembly.     

Benchmark Problem Suite for Reactor Physics Study of LWR Next Generation Fuels

This paper proposes a benchmark problem suite for studying the physics of next-generation fuels of light water reactors. The target discharge burnup of the next-generation fuel was set to 70GWd/t considering the increasing trend in discharge burnup of light water reactor fuels. The UO₂ and MOX fuels are included in the benchmark specifications. The benchmark problem consists of three different geometries: fuel pin cell, PWR fuel assembly and BWR fuel assembly. In the pin cell problem, detailed nuclear characteristics such as burnup dependence of nuclide-wise reactivity were included in the required calculation results to facilitate the study of reactor physics. In the assembly benchmark problems, important parameters for in-core fuel management such as local peaking factors and reactivity coefficients were included in the required results. The benchmark problems provide comprehensive test problems for next-generation light water reactor fuels with extended high burnup. Furthermore, since the pin cell, the PWR assembly and the BWR assembly problems are independent, analyses of the entire benchmark suite is not necessary: e.g., the set of pin cell and PWR fuel assembly problems will be suitable for those in charge of PWR in-core fuel management, and the set of pin cell and BWR fuel assembly problems for those in charge of BWR in-core fuel management.     

一种求解反应堆中子扩散方程和输运方程的方法

结合反应堆中子物理方程的特点和非结构网格技术，提出了一种在任意网格下求解反应堆中子物理方程的方法。以反应堆中子扩散方程和一阶离散纵标的输运方程为例，从空间离散、方程离散和边界条件实施等方面介绍了该方法的实施过程。利用该方法编制的程序计算了BN-600基准题、CFR1000概念堆和BWR栅元3种情况的有效增殖因数，并与其他程序的计算结果进行了对比，初步验证了该方法的合理性。     

HEXTRAN–SMABRE calculation of the VVER-1000 coolant transient-1 benchmark

The VVER-1000 coolant transient benchmark is intended for validation of couplings of the thermal hydraulic codes and three-dimensional neutron kinetic core models. It concerns switching on a main coolant pump when the other three main coolant pumps are in operation. The problem is based on an experiment performed in Kozloduy NPP in Bulgaria. In addition to the real plant transient, an extreme scenario concerning a control rod ejection after switching on a main coolant pump was calculated. At VTT the three-dimensional advanced nodal code HEXTRAN is used for the core dynamics, and the system code SMABRE as a thermal hydraulic model for the primary and secondary loop. The parallelly coupled HEXTRAN–SMABRE code has been in production use since early 1990s, and it has been extensively used for analyses of VVER NPPs. The SMABRE input model is based on the standard VVER-1000 input used at VTT. The whole core calculation is performed with HEXTRAN. Also the core model is based on earlier VVER-1000 models. Nuclear data for the calculation were specified in the benchmark. The paper outlines the input models used for both codes. Calculated results are introduced both for the coupled core system with inlet and outlet boundary conditions and for the whole plant model. Parametric studies have been performed for selected parameters.     

动态棒价值测量软件包LIGHT的开发与数值验证

动态棒价值测量是一种快速测量控制棒组价值的方法。基于测量过程和相关的反应堆物理数值计算方法，开发了动态棒价值测量软件包LIGHT。LIGHT可产生进行动态棒价值测量所需的参数，包括静态空间因子、动态空间因子和缓发中子参数。针对基准问题和AP1000核电厂进行了数值计算并进行了比较。分析表明，计算结果具有较高的精度，说明建立的计算模型及开发的程序是正确的。     

Power series solution method for solving point kinetics equations with lumped model temperature and feedback

Point kinetics equations are stiff differential equations, and their solution by the conventional explicit methods will give a stable consistent result only for very small time steps. Since the neutron lifetime in a LMFBR is very short, the point kinetics equations for LMFBRs become even stiffer. In this study the power series solution (PWS) method is applied for solving the point kinetics equations for a typical LMFBR. A Fortran program is developed for accident analysis of LMFBRs with the PWS method for solving the point kinetics and a lumped model for solving the heat transfer equations. A new technique is developed with fixing factor to find out the average temperature at the peak power node (PPN) without performing temperature calculations at all axial nodes in a reactor fuel pin. The temperature at PPN also decides whether the reactor is within the design safety limit (DSL) or it has entered a serious transient that may lead to an accident. The coupled heat transfer and point kinetics models for a peak power node give the average fuel, clad and coolant temperatures. For the transient over power accidents (TOPA), this is the best way for calculating the temperature, with minimum amount of computations. TOPA analyses are carried out with PWS method. It is found that the PWS methodology uses a small number of numerical operations, while the computational time and the accuracy are comparable with the available fast computational tools. This methodology can be used in nuclear reactor simulation studies and accident analysis.     

Application of Quick Subchannel Analysis Method for Three-Dimensional Pin-by-Pin BWR Core Calculations

Three-dimensional pin-by-pin core analysis is considered to be a candidate for the next-generation BWR core calculation method. In our previous study, the applicability of the transport and burnup calculations for a three-dimensional pin-by-pin BWR core analysis was investigated. However, the thermal-hydraulics calculation has not yet been studied in this framework. In the conventional core analysis code, the bundlewise thermal-hydraulics calculation is adopted. In the actual core analysis, the power distribution inside a fuel assembly is tilted at the region adjacent to a control blade or the core peripheral region. In these regions, the consideration of the subchannel-wise void distribution has an impact on the fission rate distribution. Therefore, an evaluation of the detailed void distribution inside an assembly, i.e., the incorporation of the subchannel wise void distribution, is desirable for the pin-by-pin BWR core analysis. Although several subchannel analysis codes have been developed, these subchannel analysis codes generally require a large computational effort to estimate the subchannel-wise void distribution in a whole BWR core. Therefore, to analyze a whole BWR core within a reasonable computation time, it was necessary to apply a fast subchannel analysis code. In this paper, a quick subchannel analysis code dedicated to pin-by-pin BWR core analysis is newly developed, and the void distribution of the present subchannel analysis code is compared with the prevailing subchannel analysis code NASCA using three-dimensional single-assembly geometries. Since the present subchannel analysis code is used for a coupled neutronics/thermal-hydraulics analysis, the results of the coupling calculation are also compared with those of NASCA. The calculation result indicates that the void distribution difference between NASCA and the present subchannel analysis code is slightly less than 10%. This result indicates that the prediction accuracy of the present subchannel analysis code will be reasonably appropriate for a pin-by-pin BWR core analysis. Furthermore, the results show that the calculation time of the present subchannel analysis code is only 10 min for a hypothetical three-dimensional ABWR quarter-core geometry using a single CPU. This calculation time is sufficient for a pin-by-pin BWR core analysis.     

三维耦合分析软件的落棒事故分析

作为数值反应堆中必不可少的物理和热工部分,中广核研究院有限公司开发了三维物理热工耦合分析软件,通过动态链接库技术实现了自主研发的核反应堆系统瞬态分析软件和三维核设计软件的耦合,并已与国际基准题结果对比验证。本文为耦合软件的应用,围绕华龙一号的落棒分析问题,开展不同落棒组合的耦合计算分析,并研究停堆棒组落棒和温度调节棒（R）棒组两组落棒对堆芯功率的影响。分析结果表明,非中心对称的棒组落棒事故会导致堆芯径向功率出现不对称,并使得堆芯出口回路温度不同。落棒反应性价值越大,R棒调节后的稳态功率回升相比初始稳态差异越大,DNBR公式计算值的变化趋势与功率呈现相反规律。     

Transient and stability analysis of a BWR core with thorium–uranium fuel

The kinetic response of a boiling water reactor (BWR) equilibrium core using thorium as a nuclear material, in an integrated blanket–seed assembly, is presented in this work. Additionally an in-house code was developed to evaluate this core under steady state and transient conditions including a stability analysis. The code has two modules: (a) the time domain module for transient analysis and (b) the frequency domain module for stability analysis. The thermal–hydraulic process is modeled by a set of five equations, considering no homogeneous flow with drift-flux approximation and non-equilibrium thermodynamic. The neutronic process is calculated with a point kinetics model. Typical BWR reactivity effects are considered: void fraction, fuel temperature, moderator temperature and control rod density. Collapsed parameters were included in the code to represent the core using an average fuel channel. For the stability analysis, in the frequency domain, the transfer function is determined by applying Laplace-transforming to the calculated pressure drop perturbations in each of the considered regions where a constant total pressure drop was considered. The transfer function was used to study the system response in the frequency domain when an inlet flow perturbation is applied. The results show that the neutronic behavior of the core with thorium uranium fuel is similar to a UO₂ core, even during transient conditions. The stability and transient analysis show that the thorium–uranium fuel can be operated safely in current BWRs.