Analysis of measured isotopic compositions by CASMO5 coupled with a JENDL-4.0 base library for irradiated fuel of light water reactors

Measured isotopic compositions of UO₂ and MOX fuel samples taken from irradiated light water reactor fuel assemblies were analyzed by CASMO5 coupled with a JENDL-4.0 base library to assess the uncertainties in the calculated isotopic compositions on heavy and fission product nuclides. The burnup calculations for the analysis were performed based on a single-assembly model taking into account the detail fuel assembly specifications and irradiation histories. For the MOX fuel samples, a multiple-assembly model was also adopted taking into account the effect of the surrounding UO₂ fuel assemblies. The average and standard deviation of the biases (C/E ? 1's (here C and E are calculated and measured results, respectively)) were calculated for each nuclide separately on the PWR and BWR UO₂ fuel samples. The averaged biases for ²³⁵U, ²³⁶U, ²³⁹Pu, ²⁴⁰Pu, ²⁴¹Pu and ²⁴²Pu were 2.7%, ?0.9%, 0.3%, 0.7%, ?2.4% and ?1.7% for PWR UO₂ samples, and 6.7%, ?1.5%, 2.5%, ?0.6%, 0.4% and ?0.1% for BWR UO₂ samples, respectively. The biases with the single-assembly model on the MOX fuel samples showed large positive values of ²³⁹Pu, and application of the multiple-assembly model reduced the biases as reported in our previous studies.     

Analysis of VIP-BWR reactor core physics experiments on UO2 and MOX mockup fuel assemblies - part 2: analysis with SIMULATE5

Analysis of the three test cores in the VIP-BWR program was performed in a two-dimensional geometrical model with CASMO5 coupled with the JENDL-4.0-based neutron data library, and reported in the previous paper. Following the study, interpretation of the experiments were carried out in a three-dimensional geometrical model with SIMULATE5 for the code validation study. The nuclear libraries for the SIMULATE5 calculations were generated with CASMO5 with the JENDL-4.0-based neutron data library. The effective multiplication factors of the critical cores ranged from 0.9983 to 1.0023 with measurement uncertainties of 0.0003 to 0.0004 (one σ). The root mean squares of (the calculated/the measured-1) for the fission rates at the core-mid plain of all the measured fuel rods were about 3% for the three cores. It was noticed that the calculations underestimated the fission rates of the UO₂ fuel rods and overestimated those of the MOX fuel rods for the test cores loaded with MOX fuel rods, which was consistent with trends in the preceding analysis studies of the VIP-BWR program and other MOX core experiments, and the biases were confirmed in the calculation results of power distributions in MOX-fueled light water reactor cores.     

Uncertainty analyses of decay heat summation calculations using JENDL,JEFF, and ENDF files

The uncertainty analyses of decay heat calculation were carried out using major evaluated nuclear data files, JENDL, JEFF, and ENDF. The uncertainties were obtained from the sensitivity of individual fission product nuclide to the decay heat summation calculation. The summation calculation was performed for a burst fission. The sensitivities derived from the analyses were for decay energy, fission yield, and decay constant among the nuclear data included in the summation calculation. The uncertainties of the calculations at 0.1 s after a fission burst are ～10% for JENDL and ～8% for JEFF and ENDF and those at 10⁴ s are less than 2% for all cases. The main differences came from the different adoption of the energy uncertainty. The sensitivity analysis can be used to improve the decay data for decay heat calculation.     

Effect of mechanical properties in the weld zone on the structural analysis results of a plate-type heat exchanger prototype and pressurized water reactor spacer grid

The mechanical properties in a weld zone are different from those in the base material owing to their different microstructures. A process heat exchanger in a nuclear hydrogen system is a key component to transfer high heat generated in a very high-temperature reactor to a chemical reaction that yields a large quantity of hydrogen. A spacer grid in pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel is a structural component with an interconnected and welded array of slotted grid straps. Previous research on the strength analyses of these components was performed using base material properties owing to a lack of mechanical properties in the weld zone. In this study, based on the mechanical properties in the weld zone of components recently obtained using an instrumented indentation technique, strength analyses considering the mechanical properties in the weld zone were performed, and the analysis results are compared with previous research.     

钠冷快堆系统分析程序FR-Sdaso衰变热计算模型开发与验证

反应堆停堆后的余热导出是反应堆的重要安全功能之一,停堆初期余热由裂变功率和衰变热构成,停堆后期余热主要取决于衰变热。本文开发了应用于钠冷快堆系统分析程序FR-Sdaso的衰变热计算模型,该模型可考虑裂变功率和功率历史的影响。通过与ANSI/ANS-5.1-2005标准和SAS4A/SASYS-1程序对比进行了模型验证。FR-Sdaso程序的计算结果与ANSI/ANS-5.1-2005标准的最大相对偏差约为0.1%,与SAS4A/SASYS-1的最大相对偏差在10-8量级,初步证明了所开发模型的正确性。最后,基于中国实验快堆的设计数据,分析了紧急停堆过程中裂变功率对衰变热的影响,结果表明,忽略裂变功率的影响导致衰变热的最大相对偏差约-7%,出现在停堆初期。因此,计算停堆初期衰变热时应考虑裂变功率的影响。     

Review and proposal for best fit of wire-wrapped fuel bundle friction factor and pressure drop predictions using various existing correlations

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the existing wire-wrapped fuel bundle friction factor/pressure drop correlations and to qualitatively evaluate which of the existing friction factor correlations are the best in retracing the results of a large set of the experimental data available on wire-wrapped fuel assemblies tested under different coolant conditions.     

Comparison of hydrogen generation for TVSM and TVSA fuel assemblies for water water energy reactor (VVER)-1000

This paper presents the results received during investigation of hydrogen generation for both types fuel assemblies—the old modernistic type of fuel assemblies (TVSM) and recently installed new one alternative type of fuel assemblies (TVSA) in case of severe accident. There are some differences between both types FAs. They have different geometry as well as different burnable poisons. To investigate behavior of new fuel assemblies during the severe conditions it have been performed comparison of fuel behavior of old type TVSM fuel assembly to new one TVSA.To perform this investigation it has been used MELCOR “input model” for Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) VVER 1000. The model was developed by Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy-Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (INRNE-BAS) for investigation of severe accident scenarios and Probabilistic Safety Analyses (PSA) level 2. The model provides a significant analytical capability for the Bulgarian technical specialists, working in the field of the NPP safety, for analysis of core and containment damaged states and the estimation of radionuclides release outside fuel cladding.It was accepted criteria for vessel integrity about hydrogen concentration to be 8%. This criterion was based on the decision of RSK (Germany commission for reactor safety).Generally based on the received results it was made conclusion that using both types of fuel assemblies it was not disturbance safety conditions of NPP.     

Analysis of different containment models for IRIS small break LOCA, using GOTHIC and RELAP5 codes

Advanced nuclear water reactors rely on containment behaviour in realization of some of their passive safety functions. Steam condensation on containment walls, where non-condensable gas effects are significant, is an important feature of the new passive containment concepts, like the AP600/1000 ones.In this work the international reactor innovative and secure (IRIS) was taken as reference, and the relevant condensation phenomena involved within its containment were investigated with different computational tools. In particular, IRIS containment response to a small break LOCA (SBLOCA) was calculated with GOTHIC and RELAP5 codes. A simplified model of IRIS containment drywell was implemented with RELAP5 according to a sliced approach, based on the two-pipe-with-junction concept, while it was addressed with GOTHIC using several modelling options, regarding both heat transfer correlations and volume and thermal structure nodalization. The influence on containment behaviour prediction was investigated in terms of drywell temperature and pressure response, heat transfer coefficient (HTC) and steam volume fraction distribution, and internal recirculating mass flow rate. The objective of the paper is to preliminarily compare the capability of the two codes in modelling of the same postulated accident, thus to check the results obtained with RELAP5, when applied in a situation not covered by its validation matrix (comprising SBLOCA and to some extent LBLOCA transients, but not explicitly the modelling of large dry containment volumes).The option to include or not droplets in fluid mass flow discharged to the containment was the most influencing parameter for GOTHIC simulations. Despite some drawbacks, due, e.g. to a marked overestimation of internal natural recirculation, RELAP5 confirmed its capability to satisfactorily model the basic processes in IRIS containment following SBLOCA.     

Two types of a passive safety containment for a near future BWR with active and passive safety systems

The paper presents two types of a passive safety containment for a near future BWR. They are named Mark S and Mark X containment. One of their common merits is very low peak pressure at severe accidents without venting the containment atmosphere to the environment. The PCV pressure can be moderated within the design pressure. Another merit is the capability to submerge the PCV and the RPV above the core level. The third merit is robustness against external events such as a large commercial airplane crash. Both the containments have a passive cooling core catcher that has radial cooling channels. The Mark S containment is made of reinforced concrete and applicable to a large power BWR up to 1830 MWe. The Mark X containment has the steel secondary containment and can be cooled by natural circulation of outside air. It can accommodate a medium power BWR up to 1380 MWe. In both cases the plants have active and passive safety systems constituting in-depth hybrid safety (IDHS). The IDHS provides not only hardware diversity between active and passive safety systems but also more importantly diversity of the ultimate heat sinks between the atmosphere and the sea water. Although the plant concept discussed in the paper uses well-established technology, plant performance including economy is innovatively and evolutionally improved. Nothing is new in the hardware but everything is new in the performance.     

Variations of a passive safety containment for a BWR with active and passive safety systems

The paper presents variations of a certain passive safety containment for a near future BWR. It is tentatively named Mark S containment in the paper. It uses the operating dome as the upper secondary containment vessel (USCV) to where the pressure of the primary containment vessel (PCV) can be released through the upper vent pipes. One of the merits of the Mark S containment is very low peak pressure at severe accidents without venting the containment atmosphere to the environment. Another merit is the capability to submerge the PCV and the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) above the core level by flooding water from the gravity-driven cooling system (GDCS) pool and the upper pool. The third merit is robustness against external events such as a large commercial airplane crash owing to the reinforced concrete USCV. The Mark S containment is applicable to a large reactor that generates 1830 MW electric power. The paper presents several examples of BWRs that use the Mark S containment. In those examples active safety systems and passive safety systems function independently and constitute in-depth hybrid safety (IDHS). The concept of the IDHS is also presented in the paper.