运输容器临界安全评价要点剖析

易裂变物质的运输是堆外操作易裂变物质的主要活动之一,特别是随着越来越多核电厂、研究堆的投建或退役,新、乏燃料的运输临界安全问题备受关注。在对易裂变物质的运输进行临界安全评价时应遵循相关的法规要求,如GB 11806-2004《放射性物质安全运输规程》,这是我国易裂变材料运输要满足的强制性要求和准则。针对该标准制定的各项规定和要求,结合设计和评审中的工程实际经验,以1个新燃料运输容器的设计分析为例,探讨了易裂变物质运输时核临界安全评价的技术要求,为易裂变材料货包的设计、安全评审提供参考和建议。     

新燃料组件运输容器的力学和临界设计研究

介绍了一种新燃料组件运输容器在设计过程中的力学和临界计算。根据相关设计法规和标准,首先对该型容器进行力学仿真,考察其在极限工况下的堆叠性能,开展了容器的模态分析以及在公路运输工况下的随机振动响应及疲劳失效计算。之后,对该型容器开展了各工况下单个及阵列条件下的临界计算。相关的力学和临界计算结果为该型容器的最终设计定型提供了依据。     

高温气冷堆新燃料元件运输容器临界安全分析

采用基于蒙特卡罗方法的MCNP5程序对高温气冷堆所用的球形燃料元件进行描述;根据包覆燃料颗粒在燃料球内的分布性质构建了8种不同模型,并研究不同模型对有效增殖因子（keff）和计算时间的影响,获得了临界计算问题中最优的燃料球模型;运用MCNP5描述燃料球运输容器,并研究了容器中子吸收板厚度、外容器壁厚、缓冲层材料、反射层材料、容器形状、容器结构缺失和水密度等影响运输容器临界安全的因素。结果表明,所研究的高温气冷堆新燃料元件运输容器在正常运输条件下和事故运输条件下均处于临界安全状态,其临界安全指数（CSI）可定为0。      

CEFR-MOX新燃料组件运输货包临界安全计算

易裂变材料运输过程中重要的安全问题之一是临界安全。在对运输货包进行临界安全分析中必须要同时考虑多货包阵列形式、事故后货包损伤对临界安全影响、最佳水慢化条件等因素。本文采用MCNP 程序针对CEFR-MOX新燃料组件运输货包进行了临界安全计算。计算结果表明:MCNP程序(采用核截面库为ENDF/B-V库)对本问题的次临界限值为0.924 6;正常运输条件下无限个运输货包的最大k_eff值为0.574 4,运输事故条件下无限个运输货包的最大k_eff值为0.659 7。根据临界安全指数的定义,确定CEFR-MOX新燃料组件运输货包的临界安全指数为0。     

中国先进研究堆新燃料组件运输的临界安全分析

在新燃料组件运输过程中,临界安全是重点。使用MCNP程序对中国先进研究堆新燃料组件的运输进行临界安全计算分析,通过选取最不利临界安全的次临界限值、组件模型参数、事故工况来保证计算结果的保守性。结果表明,运输货包的临界安全指数可确定为0。该结果可为中国先进研究堆（CARR）的新燃料组件运输容器的研发提供参考依据。     

高燃耗乏燃料运输容器结构设计研究

随着中国压水堆核电站核燃料燃耗不断增加,高燃耗乏燃料运输容器在燃料后端物流中必不可少。本文介绍了高燃耗乏燃料运输容器的结构设计要求、结构特点、功能和性能参数;详细阐述了乏燃料运输容器满足各种工况下的结构强度要求。通过数值分析和相应试验,论证高燃耗乏燃料运输容器结构设计的合理性及结构安全分析方法的正确性,验证该设计能够满足放射性物质运输标准要求。     

秦山一期乏燃料运输稳态热工分析

秦山一期乏燃料运输预备采用R-52型乏燃料运输容器。R-52型乏燃料运输容器为铅屏不锈钢容器，其上、下两端装有由木材（泡桐树）制成的减震器，有防火用的防火绝缘层，内腔设有吊篮。为保证运输的安全性，需对该运输方案进行热工计算及分析。本工作针对该运输方案，     

乏燃料运输容器二维辐射屏蔽优化分析

智能辐射屏蔽优化设计软件平台是基于遗传算法程序和一维离散纵标程序ANISN而开发的一维多目标屏蔽优化程序。使用该程序对乏燃料运输容器进行辐射屏蔽优化设计,构建了乏燃料运输容器多目标优化辐射屏蔽设计的计算模型,对乏燃料运输容器重量和外部剂量率进行了优化计算,并使用蒙特卡罗程序MCNP/4C进行校核计算。优化后乏燃料运输容器重量为原来的81.1%,剂量率下降到原来的65.4%以下。该程序计算结果与MCNP/4C校核计算结果最大偏差小于5%。计算结果证明了优化设计方案的可行性并验证了该程序计算的正确性。     

钴—60源运输容器安全性分析

根据ＩＡＥＡ安全标准Ｎｏ．６有关规程的要求，采用工程传热学和工程力学分析方法，对未经国标ＧＢ１１８０６８９规定试验的钴６０源运输容器的安全性作了分析。经计算分析得，本容器外表面辐射水平为１．５６ｍＳｖｈ－１，小于ＩＡＥＡ有关规程规定的２ｍＳｖｈ－１限值。容器经改进后，在８００℃火焰中曝射３０分钟，其铅温度为１６６．４℃，小于ＩＡＥＡ有关规程规定的２００℃限值。本容器与国内工业用钴６０源运输容器相比，具有承受正常运输和事故运输条件的能力，其货包的安全性符合ＧＢ１１８０６８９和ＩＡＥＡ的规定要求。     

Criticality safety of the ET-RR-1 new spent fuel storage pool

A new ET-RR-1 spent fuel storage pool is now under construction on the reactor site at Inshass. In addition, the pool is designed to accommodate spent fuel of MTR type as well. Criticality safety of this pool for the different fuel types has been evaluated as a function of U²³⁵ loading. The effect of fuel element separation (rows and columns) on the eigenvalue has been studied. As a conservative assumption, the pool is assumed to be filled with fresh fuel. The eigenvalue considering a realistic degree of fuel burn-up was determined in order to determine the safety margin. The calculations have been carried out using the code packages of the National Center for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Control.     

Criticality risks during transportation of spent nuclear fuel

Abstract

A probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) quantifies the frequency of criticality accidents during railroad transport of spent nuclear fuel casks (SFCs) in the USA. It evaluates the likelihood that undetected errors in fuel selection and/or fuel handling could result in a misloaded SFC susceptible to a criticality event following an accident during rail transport of the cask. The PRA shows that existing fuel burnup records and formal procedures for loading a SFC make the likelihood of shipping a misloaded SFC on the order of 2·6 × 10^–6 per SFC. When combined with historical evidence regarding train accidents and an estimate of the likelihood that an accident could breach and submerge a SFC, the calculated frequency of criticality is below 2 × 10^–12 over the 11 000 shipments that would be required to ship the spent fuel inventory generated by the current US fleet of nuclear reactors, assuming that they each operate for 60 years.     

Mechanical safety analysis for high burn-up spent fuel assemblies under accident transport conditions

Abstract

Transport packages for spent fuel have to meet the requirements concerning containment, shielding and criticality as specified in the International Atomic Energy Agency regulations for different transport conditions. Physical state of spent fuel and fuel rod cladding as well as geometric configuration of fuel assemblies are, among others, important inputs for the evaluation of correspondent package capabilities under these conditions. The kind, accuracy and completeness of such information depend upon purpose of the specific problem. In this paper, the mechanical behaviour of spent fuel assemblies under accident conditions of transport will be analysed with regard to assumptions to be used in the criticality safety analysis. In particular the potential rearrangement of the fissile content within the package cavity, including the amount of the fuel released from broken rods has to be properly considered in these assumptions. In view of the complexity of interactions between the fuel rods of each fuel assembly among themselves as well as between fuel assemblies, basket, and cask body or cask lid, the exact mechanical analysis of such phenomena under drop test conditions is nearly impossible. The application of sophisticated numerical models requires extensive experimental data for model verification, which are in general not available. The gaps in information concerning the material properties of cladding and pellets, especially for the high burn-up fuel, make the analysis more complicated additionally. In this context a simplified analytical methodology for conservative estimation of fuel rod failures and spent fuel release is described. This methodology is based on experiences of BAM acting as the responsible German authority within safety assessment of packages for transport of spent fuel.     

Criticality aspects of transport of legacy spent fuels

Abstract

This paper discusses aspects of legacy breeder fuels, which can be important to the transport criticality safety case and which are different from fuels from thermal reactors. The issues that are addressed include inventory determination and uncertainty, fuel damage from impact, and corrosion and validation of the criticality calculations. The paper is based on a real project. The paper also describes the iterative nature of the design process, showing how it benefited from a large computer cluster and a parameterised criticality code.     

Criticality calculations of spent fuel in deep geological repository

Criticality calculations have been performed for a typical spent fuel disposal canister model filled with PWR fuel elements. Geometric and material properties of the disposal canister and disposal holes were modeled based on the Swedish preliminary disposal concept. Direct disposal of 5% enriched 16 × 16 PWR fuel was considered. We performed the calculations of the neutron multiplication factor using various disposal configurations, depending on the initial enrichment, fuel burnup, canister geometry and disposal holes configuration. The results showed that under normal conditions, when the canister is filled with fresh spent nuclear fuel, the system is deeply sub-critical. If it is assumed that the canister is faulty, leaking and filled with ground water, the system may become critical in the case of fresh fuel.     

某型乏燃料运输容器中子辐射屏蔽性能检测

中子辐射水平测量的可靠性是辐射屏蔽性能检测的难点。本文采用便携式中子测量仪和多球谱仪对某型乏燃料运输货包外部中子辐射水平进行了测量,并基于SCALE程序计算得到的乏燃料中子源项,采用MCNP程序模拟计算得到货包外部中子辐射水平。对测量结果和计算结果进行比较,分析相关影响因素,提出了优化测量方案的建议。     

三门核电一号机组新燃料组件在冲洗井中临时存放的临界安全计算

新燃料贮存主要涉及到的核安全问题是临界安全。对新燃料组件临时存放的方案进行临界安全计算时必须考虑两项独立事件的情况下组件的临界安全。采用SCALE对三门核电将首炉新燃料组件存放于冲洗井中的方案进行了临界计算。计算结果显示,即使在极限的两项独立事件同时发生的前提下,三门核电首炉机组的燃料组件在冲洗井中存放的临界安全也是有保障的。