熔融物作用下压力容器下封头热应力分析方法研究

堆芯熔融物滞留(IVR)策略是核电厂针对严重事故的一项重要缓解措施。采用有限元方法对IVR策略期间反应堆压力容器(RPV)下封头在熔融物作用下的力学行为进行研究,通过对熔融物传递给压力容器壁面的热载荷和力学载荷进行研究,计算得到下封头的温度场和应力场分布,幵对热膨胀和内压等对结构力学响应的影响进行了研究,对材料的弹性和弹塑性行为进行了比较。结果表明,热膨胀产生的应力和变形远大于容器自重、熔池压力和冷却水压力产生的结果;内压大于1 MPa时其对结构的力学响应有显著影响;熔融物作用下压力容器下封头将产生不可忽视的塑性变形,采用弹塑性方法进行分析更为合理。     

熔融物堆内滞留条件下压力容器变形

熔融物堆内滞留(In-Vessel Retention,IVR)已经成为第三代反应堆一项关键的严重事故缓解策略,而压力容器外部冷却(External Reactor Vessel Cooling,ERVC)技术则是保证IVR得以成功实施的关键。当发生堆芯熔化时,高温熔融物对压力容器(Reactor Pressure Vessel,RPV)下封头的热冲击会导致RPV壁面和由其构成的外部冷却通道的形状发生变化,使局部传热恶化,进而造成IVR的失效。因此,有必要对IVR条件下RPV壁面的变形进行研究。本文利用有限元软件ANSYS对RPV进行了几何建模、温度场分析和力学场分析。结果表明,在RPV外部实现冷却、内部实现泄压的前提下,壁面变形为13.85-18.75 mm。在1 MPa内压的作用下,高温蠕变会使壁面变形随时间增大,但其增量有限。热膨胀是造成壁面变形的主要因素。     

熔融物堆内滞留条件下RPV长期结构完整性分析

熔融物反应堆压力容器(RPV)内滞留(IVR)是三代核电厂重要的严重事故缓解措施,而防止RPV的热工失效和结构失效是实现IVR的前提。本文建立考虑内壁面熔蚀的RPV有限元模型,在温度场分析的基础上,开展蠕变计算,得到不同时刻下的应力应变响应,通过选取典型评定路径并利用基于Larson-Miller参数的累积损伤理论进行蠕变损伤计算及评价。分析结果表明:在考虑一定内压的IVR条件下,RPV不会发生蠕变断裂,长期结构完整性可保证。本文的研究方法可为后续核电厂RPV在IVR条件下的结构完整性分析提供参考。     

熔融物堆内滞留条件下RPV长期结构完整性分析

熔融物反应堆压力容器(RPV)内滞留(IVR)是三代核电厂重要的严重事故缓解措施，而防止RPV的热工失效和结构失效是实现IVR的前提。本文建立考虑内壁面熔蚀的RPV有限元模型，在温度场分析的基础上，开展蠕变计算，得到不同时刻下的应力应变响应，通过选取典型评定路径并利用基于Larson-Miller参数的累积损伤理论进行蠕变损伤计算及评价。分析结果表明：在考虑一定内压的IVR条件下，RPV不会发生蠕变断裂，长期结构完整性可保证。本文的研究方法可为后续核电厂RPV在IVR条件下的结构完整性分析提供参考。     

压力容器下封头大变形模型的开发及在FOREVER实验中的应用分析

反应堆发生严重事故后，将堆芯熔融物滞留在压力容器内的策略（In-vessel Retention,IVR）是作为缓解严重事故的一项重要措施，该策略已成功应用于AP1000、华龙一号和CAP1400等先进压水堆的严重事故管理中。在实施IVR策略时，下封头受到高温熔融物的热负荷会发生变形，下封头的变形改变堆腔的冷却流道，这会直接影响压力容器外部冷却的排热能力和IVR策略的成功实施，有必要对下封头变形展开研究和应用。针对ISAA(Integrated Severe Accident Analysis)程序LHTCM(Lower Head Thermal Creep Module)模型简化薄膜应力模型十分简单和缺乏计算变形模块的问题，本文从机理出发，基于Timoshenko板壳理论、Nortron蠕变定律和大变形塑性理论开发了机理模型—下封头大变形模型，并将该模型集成到一体化严重事故分析程序ISAA中对FOREVER-EC2实验进行应用，预测失效时间与实验的误差仅为1.9%，预测底部伸长量与实验测量值较为符合，破口位置与实验一致。分析结果表明该模型能准确预测在堆芯熔化严重事故中下封头所受应力、...     

严重事故IVR下反应堆压力容器耦合传热数值模拟分析

堆芯熔化严重事故下保证反应堆压力容器（RPV）完整性非常重要,高温蠕变失效是堆芯熔化严重事故下反应堆压力容器的主要失效模式。在进行严重事故堆芯熔化物堆内包容（IVR）下RPV结构完整性分析中,RPV内外壁和沿高度方向的温度分布以及剩余壁厚是结构分析的重要输入。本文采用CFD分析方法对RPV堆内熔融物、RPV壁以及外部气液两相流动换热进行热-固-流耦合分析,获得耦合情况下的温度场、流场、各相份额分布以及RPV的剩余壁厚,为RPV在严重事故IVR下的结构完整性分析提供依据。     

三层熔融池结构情况下反应堆压力容器外水冷有效性分析

通过反应堆压力容器外水冷(ERVC)实现熔融物压力容器内滞留(IVR)是300 MW压水堆核电厂重要的严重事故管理特征。在过去IVR分析中通常对反应堆压力容器(RPV)下封头内两层熔融池结构进行分析,然而核电厂还可能出现一种底部为重金属层的3层熔融池结构,它可能对RPV完整性带来更大的威胁。本文根据建立的模型假设300 MW压水堆核电厂出现的该熔融池结构,并进行分析。结果表明,形成的底部重金属层不会威胁RPV完整性,但厚度变薄的顶部金属层失效裕度较小,可能威胁RPV完整性。     

基于耦合CFD-FEM方法的严重事故下RPV蠕变失效风险评估

核电站严重事故发生后，反应堆压力容器（RPV）的剩余固壁在高温差、内压、熔池重量等的作用下可能发生蠕变失效。本文以CPR1000 RPV为研究对象，基于FLUENT软件二次开发求解反应堆压力容器下封头烧蚀温度场，然后基于ANSYS Workbench开展耦合CFD-FEM力学分析，求解严重事故下RPV烧蚀温度场稳定后72 h内的等效应力、等效塑性应变和等效蠕变应变，并评估了RPV的蠕变失效风险。结果表明：当堆坑注水等措施投运后，RPV剩余固壁在72 h内不会发生蠕变失效和塑性变形失效，有效卸压可明显提升RPV结构完整性的安全裕度。     

RPV下封头熔融池换热特性数值模拟研究

熔融物堆内滞留（In-vessel Retention,IVR）指的是在核电厂严重事故发生后,通过在压力容器和保温层间隙注入冷却水防止压力容器熔穿失效。本文基于COMSOL Multiphysics软件建立了一个流-热-固耦合计算模型,对IVR技术作用下的反应堆压力容器（Reactor Pressure Vessel,RPV）下封头双层熔融池的演变过程进行了仿真研究。当前模型计算结果表明：在稳态分层的状态下,与氧化物层接触的下封头未发生明显的熔化,与金属层接触的下封头会发生明显的熔化,但在被冷却条件下依然可以保持压力容器的完整性。     

椭球形与球形下封头压力容器内熔融物滞留传热特性分析

严重事故下堆芯熔融物再分布于压力容器下封头，在衰变热作用下高温堆芯熔融物对压力容器壁面施加较大的热负荷，可能导致压力容器失效。针对压力容器内熔融物滞留下的传热过程，基于Fortran90语言开发了椭球形下封头压力容器内熔融物堆内滞留（IVR）分析程序IVRASA-ELLIP，计算具有椭球形下封头的压力容器在严重事故下稳态熔池的传热过程及IVR特性。利用IVRASA-ELLIP程序计算了VVER-1000压力容器内熔池的传热，分析具有椭球形下封头的压力容器各处的壁面热流密度、氧化物硬壳厚度和压力容器壁厚，并与运用IVRASA程序计算的AP1000稳态熔池传热结果进行对比分析。研究结果表明，在相同初始参数下椭球形下封头内的壁面热流密度较球形下封头内的小，与热流密度的变化趋势相对应，椭球形下封头内压力容器壁的消融量较球形下封头内的小，椭球形下封头内形成的氧化物硬壳厚度较球形下封头内的厚。     

Risk Assessment of Creep Failure for RPV under Severe Accident Condition Based on Coupled CFD-FEM Method

After a reactor core melt accident, creep failure may occur in the residual solid wall of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) under the influence of high temperature difference, internal pressure and the weight of the molten pool. In this work, the CPR1000 RPV was used as a research object. The ablation temperature field of the lower head of RPV was solved through the secondary development of the FLUENT software. And then, a CFD-FEM coupling analysis was carried out based on ANSYS Workbench software. The equivalent stress, the equivalent plastic strain and the equivalent creep strain of the RPV within 72 h under severe accident after the wall ablation and temperature field distribution formed stably were calculated. The risk of creep failure of the RPV was evaluated. The results show that when the reactor pit water injection measure puts into operation, the residual solid wall of the RPV will not experience creep failure and plastic deformation failure within 72 h, and besides, the pressure relief can significantly increase the safety margin of the structural integrity of the RPV.     

IVR熔池分层模型对压力容器安全裕量分析的影响

严重事故缓解策略熔融物堆内滞留（IVR）有效性评价方法中，关于压力容器下封头内的熔池结构是最具争议的问题。本工作对目前国际上采用的稳定熔池2层和3层结构，以及在熔池形成过程中可能形成的4层结构进行了比较研究，建立了这3种结构下的熔池分层传热模型，并分析了3种结构在不同反应堆功率水平下对压力容器有效性的影响。结果表明，压力容器安全裕量随反应堆功率的升高而减小，在4层熔池结构下发生压力容器熔穿失效的可能性最大。     

Analysis of safety margin of in-vessel retention for AP1000

In-vessel retention (IVR) of core melt is a key severe accident management strategy adopted by most operating nuclear power plants and advanced light water reactors (ALWRs), AP600, AP1000, etc. External reactor vessel cooling (ERVC) is a novel severe accident management for IVR analysis. In present study, IVR analysis code in severe accident (IVRASA) has been developed to evaluate the safety margin of IVR in AP1000 with anticipative depressurization and reactor cavity flooding in severe accident. For, IVRASA, the point estimate procedure has been developed for modeling the steady-state endpoint of two core melt configurations: Configuration I and Configuration II. The results of benchmark calculations of AP600 by IVRASA were consistent with those of the UCSB and INEEL. Then, IVRASA is used to calculate the heat transfer process caused by two core melt configurations of AP1000. The results of calculations of Configuration I indicate that the heat flux remains below the critical heat flux (CHF), however, the sensitivity calculations show that the heat flux in the metallic layer could exceed the CHF because of the focusing effect due to the thin metallic layer. On the other hand, the results of calculations of Configuration II suggest that the thermal failure of the lower head at the bottom location is highly unlikely, but the heat flux in light metallic layer could be higher than that of base case due to the portion of metal partitioning into the lower head. This work also investigated the effect of the uncertainties of the CHF correlations on the analysis of IVR.     

Characterization of PWR vessel steel tearing under severe accident condition temperatures

In the event of a severe core meltdown accident in a pressurised water reactor (PWR), core material can relocate into the lower head of the vessel resulting in significant thermal and pressure loads being imposed on the vessel. In the event of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) failure there is the possibility of core material being released towards the containment.On the basis of the loading conditions and the temperature distribution, the determination of the mode, timing, and size of lower head failure is of prime importance in the assessment of core melt accidents. This is because they define the initial conditions for ex-vessel events such as core/basemat interactions, fuel/coolant interactions, and direct containment heating. When lower head failure occurs (i) the understanding of the mechanism of lower head creep deformation; (ii) breach stability and its kinetic of propagation leading to the failure; (iii) and developing predictive modelling capabilities to better assess the consequences of ex-vessel processes, are of equal importance.The objective of this paper is to present an original characterization programme of vessel steel tearing properties by carrying out high temperature tearing tests on Compact Tension (CT) specimens.The influence of metallurgical composition on the kinetics of tearing is investigated as previous work on different RPV steels has shown a possible loss of ductility at high temperatures depending on the initial chemical composition of the vessel material. Small changes in the composition can lead to different types of rupture behaviour at high temperatures.The experimental programme has been conducted on various French RPV 16MND5 steels for temperatures ranging from 900 °C to 1100 °C. Comparisons between the tests performed on these various 16MND5 steels show that this approach is appropriate to characterize the difference in ductility observed at high temperatures.The aim of this experimental study is also to contribute to the definition of a tearing criterion by identifying, on the basis of CT results, the related material parameters at temperatures representative of the real severe accident conditions.This experimental campaign has been carried out in partnership with IRSN in the framework of a research programme whose purpose is to complete the mechanical properties database of 16MND5 steel and to model tearing failure in French RPV lower head vessels under severe conditions (Koundy et al., 2008).     

Bottom nozzle failure mechanism of water reactor pressure vessel under severe accident conditions

Most of past studies devoted to the creep rupture of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel (RPV) lower head under severe accident conditions, have focused on global deformation and rupture modes. Limited efforts were made on local failure modes associated with penetration nozzles as a part of TMI-2 vessel investigation project (TMI-2 VIP) in 1990s. However, it was based on an excessively simplified shear deformation model. In the present study, the mode of nozzle failure has been investigated using data and nozzle materials from Sandia National Laboratory's lower head failure experiment (SNL-LHF). Crack-like separations were revealed at the nozzle weld metal to RPV interfaces indicating the importance of normal stress component rather than the shear stress in the creep rupture. Creep rupture tests were conducted for nozzle and weld metal materials, respectively, at various temperature and stress levels. Stress distribution in the nozzle region is calculated using elastic–viscoplastic finite element analysis (FEA) using the measured properties. Calculation results are compared with earlier results based on the pure shear model of TMI-2 VIP. It is concluded from both LHF-4 nozzle examination and FEA that normal stress at the nozzle/lower head interface is the dominant driving force for the local failure. From the FEA for the nozzle weld attached in RPV, it is shown that nozzle welds failure occur by displacement controlled fracture of nozzle hole not by load controlled fracture of internal pressure. Considering these characteristics of nozzle weld failure, new concept of nozzle failure time prediction is proposed.