Safety analysis of reactivity insertion accidents in a heavy water nuclear research reactor core using coupled 3D neutron kinetics thermal-hydraulic system code technique

Nuclear power plant Safety analysis using coupled 3D neutron kinetics/thermal-hydraulic codes technique is increasingly used nowadays. Actually, the use of this technique allows getting less conservatism and more realistic simulations of the physical phenomena. The challenge today is oriented toward the application of this technique to the operating conditions of nuclear research reactors. In the current study, a three-Dimensional Neutron Kinetics and best estimate Thermal-Hydraulic model based upon the coupled PARCS/RELAP5 codes has been developed and applied for a heavy water research reactor. The objective is to perform safety analysis related to design accidents of this reactor types. In the current study two positive reactivity insertion transients are considered, SCRAM protected and self-limiting power excursion cases. The results of the steady state calculations were compared with results obtained from conventional diffusion codes, while transient calculations were assessed using the point kinetic model of the RELAP5 code. Through this study, the applicability and the suitability of using the coupled code technique with respect to the classical models are emphasized and discussed.     

Turing instability in an economic–demographic dynamical system may lead to pattern formation on a geographical scale

Spatial distribution of the human population is distinctly heterogeneous, e.g. showing significant difference in the population density between urban and rural areas. In the historical perspective, i.e. on the timescale of centuries, the emergence of densely populated areas at their present locations is widely believed to be linked to more favourable environmental and climatic conditions. In this paper, we challenge this point of view. We first identify a few areas at different parts of the world where the environmental conditions (quantified by the temperature, precipitation and elevation) show a relatively small variation in space on the scale of thousands of kilometres. We then examine the population distribution across those areas to show that, in spite of the approximate homogeneity of the environment, it exhibits a significant variation revealing a nearly periodic spatial pattern. Based on this apparent disagreement, we hypothesize that there may exist an inherent mechanism that may lead to pattern formation even in a uniform environment. We consider a mathematical model of the coupled demographic-economic dynamics and show that its spatially uniform, locally stable steady state can give rise to a periodic spatial pattern due to the Turing instability, the spatial scale of the emerging pattern being consistent with observations. Using numerical simulations, we show that, interestingly, the emergence of the Turing patterns may eventually lead to the system collapse.     

Shunt capacitor placement in radial distribution networks considering switching transients decision making approach

This paper provides a new approach in decision making process for shunt capacitor placement in distribution networks. The main core of the evaluation process is a multi-objective framework to allocate the capacitor banks. The power loss and the total harmonic distortion (THD) are the objective functions of the system under study in a long-term planning horizon. In order to select the executive plan introduced by using a multi-objective model, transient switching overvoltages have been considered. As the size and location of shunt capacitors may result in unacceptable overvoltages, the proposed technical decision making framework can be applied to avoid corresponding damages. In this paper, an iterative conventional power flow technique is introduced. This technique can be applied to evaluate THD for distribution networks as well as other power flow based objectives, such as power losses calculation and voltage stability assessment. The presented framework is a two stage one where at the first stage, a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) augmented with a local search technique is used in order to solve the addressed multi-objective optimization problem. Then, at the second stage, a decision making support technique is applied to determine the best solution from the obtained Pareto front. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, two benchmarks are addressed in this paper. The first test system is a 9-bus distribution network and the second one is an 85-bus large scale distribution network. The simulation results show that the presented method is satisfactory and consistent with the expectation.     

49-2游泳池式反应堆超设计基准事故的筛选与分析

为保证49-2游泳池式反应堆在超寿期下的安全运行,需进行超设计基准事故分析。由于难以采用概率安全评价(PSA)方法进行分析,所以本文无条件假设最严重事故来得到一保守结果。主要分析了全厂断电下未能紧急停堆的预期瞬变(ATWS)、水平孔道断裂和停堆后堆芯完全裸露的事故,以及应急能力。结果表明:在全厂断电ATWS下堆芯是安全的;水平孔道断裂及其他因素造成失水时,只要2.5h内堆芯不裸露即可保证燃料元件不熔化;非能动破坏虹吸能力和多样的应急补水方式能保证堆芯不裸露。     

Time-Resolved Structural Kinetics of an Organic Mixed Ionic–Electronic Conductor

The structure and packing of organic mixed ionic–electronic conductors have an especially significant effect on transport properties. In operating devices, this structure is not fixed but is responsive to changes in electrochemical potential, ion intercalation, and solvent swelling. Toward this end, the steady-state and transient structure of the model organic mixed conductor, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), is characterized using multimodal time-resolved operando techniques. Steady-state operando X-ray scattering reveals a doping-induced lamellar expansion of 1.6 Å followed by 0.4 Å relaxation at high doping levels. Time-resolved operando X-ray scattering reveals asymmetric rates of lamellar structural change during doping and dedoping that do not directly depend on potential or charging transients. Time-resolved spectroscopy establishes a link between structural transients and the complex kinetics of electronic charge carrier subpopulations, in particular the polaron–bipolaron equilibrium. These findings provide insight into the factors limiting the response time of organic mixed-conductor-based devices, and present the first real-time observation of the structural changes during doping and dedoping of a conjugated polymer system via X-ray scattering.     

Thermal and hydraulic characteristics of a large-scaled parabolic trough solar field (PTSF) under cloud passages

To better understand the characteristics of a large-scaled parabolic trough solar field (PTSF) under cloud passages, a novel method which combines a closed-loop thermal hydraulic model (CLTHM) and cloud vector (CV) is developed. Besides, the CLTHM is established and validated based on a pilot plant. Moreover, some key parameters which are used to characterize a typical PTSF and CV are presented for further simulation. Furthermore, two sets of results simulated by the CLTHM are compared and discussed. One set deals with cloud passages by the CV, while the other by the traditionally distributed weather stations (DWSs). Because of considering the solar irradiance distribution in a more detailed and realistically way, compared with the distributed weather station (DWS) simulation, all essential parameters, such as the total flowrate, flow distribution, outlet temperature, thermal and exergetic efficiency, and exergetic destruction tend to be more precise and smoother in the CV simulation. For example, for the runner outlet temperature, which is the most crucial parameter for a running PTSF, the maximum relative error reaches −15% in the comparison. In addition, the mechanism of thermal and hydraulic unbalance caused by cloud passages are explained based on the simulation.     

Development of a Method of Selecting Important Alarms for Nuclear Power Plants

Presenting important alarms selected from a large number of activated alarms provides useful operational support under a transient status in a nuclear power plant. We have developed an alarm processing method which selects and presents important alarms depending on plant status.

In this method, important alarms are selected, first, based on physical relationships between alarms and component status including alarms themselves and second, even more important alarms are selected from the previously selected alarms according to the identified initial event causing the transient. Identification of the initial event is implemented by a neural network. The identified initial event and selected important alarms are presented to show the cause and influence of the transient.

A prototype based on the above alarm processing method was validated during the start-up test at Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant Unit Number 4 of Tokyo Electric Power Co. The initial events, which were load rejection, turbine trip and main steam isolation valve closure, were correctly identified and about 30% of all activated alarms were selected as important. It was verified by an operating expert that the presentation of the identified initial event and the selected important alarms were effective to understand rapidly and correctly the transient status of the plant.     

Modeling and simulation of multi‐scale transients for PMSG‐based wind power systems

In a wind energy conversion system (WECS), multiple‐time‐scale transients that cover a wide frequency range from low‐frequency transient stability up to high‐frequency switching events are observed. This paper presents a methodology of modeling diverse transients for a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG)‐based WECS within the same study. Multiple physical areas of the PMSG‐based WECS are given depending on the appearance of carriers contained in the considered waveforms. In order to eliminate different carrier frequencies, the PMSG and generator‐side voltage source converter (VSC) are modeled in the dq0‐reference frame. On the other hand, the grid‐side VSC and utility grid are dealt with in the multi‐scale model of the network in which the shift frequency is available. The switching‐function and average‐value models of the VSC are selected depending on the carrier shifted. In addition, interface between the control and electrical subsystems is redesigned to offset the computation error caused by one time‐step delay. Two test cases are performed to study the wind power fluctuations and faults ride‐through. The results show that the proposed multi‐scale model is able to simulate slow‐changing dynamic responses up to high‐frequency transients accurately while decreasing the simulation burden. In comparison with the results obtained from the EMTP (electromagnetic transients program) type simulators, the effectiveness and accuracy of the multi‐scale model are verified. Copyright © 2017 The Authors Wind Energy Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

An Energy-efficient Switching Scheme with Reduced Switching Transients for a Wind-driven Induction Generator

This article presents a scheme for improving the power output of grid-connected induction generator commonly used in wind energy conversion systems. Generally, the stator of the induction generator is connected in a star with a line voltage of √3 times the rated winding voltage to reduce the line current and, hence, conductor size. To extend the generating operation over a wider speed range, delta-star switchable stator windings are also in vogue. In such cases, the stator is star connected in the lower speed range and switched to a delta connection above a threshold speed. In this study, a new switching scheme is proposed wherein the stator coils are always connected in a star, while the stator is connected to different voltages in low- and high-speed conditions. At low wind speeds, nominal winding voltage is applied to the stator, whereas at higher speeds, the stator applied voltage is √3 times higher than the rated winding voltage. The efficacy of the scheme is demonstrated experimentally with a suitable microcontroller-based switching arrangement. Typical results indicate an increase in output with reduced switching transients. A case study on a 3-Φ, 50-kW induction generator is presented to emphasize the performance improvement with the proposed scheme.     

Flow transients performance in an MTR-type research reactor

During a flow coastdown event leading to slowing down coolant flow, the rate of heat removal from the fuel element must be sufficiently high to prevent meltdown. It is essential to estimate the flow rate change and the decay heat removal capability. In many studies complete pump operating characteristics are used in analytical solutions of the problem. Under the coastdown phenomenon, retarding torque replaces motor torque. In order to determine this torque, all the induction motor losses during the event are identified and where possible these loss parameters are measured. Stator and rotor core losses, stator and rotor stray load losses and magnetizing saturation and rotor conductor skin effects are taken into account. The basics equations for coolant flow and for the rotating parts of the centrifugal pump are subsequently derived for an MTR-type research reactor such Tehran Research Reactor (TRR). Then the equation of flow motion is solved with another one which predicts the pump speed during the coastdown transient. The results of the present work are validated by comparison with experimental and analytical studies of the similar work. The model shows good agreement with the present literature.