压水堆核电厂一回路冷却剂系统中锕系核素质量评估方法研究

为评估压水堆核电厂燃料包壳破损时的工作人员辐射风险和燃料包壳破损程度,基于特征物理量建立一回路冷却剂系统中锕系核素质量评估方法。本文基于锕系核素的生成和迁移机理,建立了一回路冷却剂系统中锕系核素的平衡方程组,并选取3种易监测的特征物理量用以评估锕系核素向一回路冷却剂系统的释放量及其分布,并建立了一回路冷却剂系统中锕系核素质量的评估方法。然后分别采用国内在役压水堆核电厂无燃料包壳破损和有燃料包壳破损的实测数据对建立的评估方法进行了验证,验证结果表明：建立的评估方法可在无燃料包壳破损和有燃料包壳破损的情况下对一回路冷却剂系统中锕系核素质量进行评估,评估结果和预期符合。本文研究成果可为压水堆核电厂运行期间一回路冷却剂系统中锕系核素质量及其分布评估提供指导,从而优化后端的工作人员防护措施,降低辐射风险。     

压水堆燃料元件包壳破损在线监测系统研制

针对压水堆核电厂运行工况下燃料元件包壳发生破损的情况,通过以机理性定量分析方法为基础的诊断物理模型和在线监测系统设计,给出完整的包壳破损在线监测解决方案。同时,通过理论模拟计算、原理样机带源实验以及电厂实测运行数据验证,多方面验证了系统设计的正确性。该套系统能够改进中国改进型百万千瓦级压水堆(CPR1000)机组现有燃料破损监测手段的不足,提高压水核电机组运行的安全性能。     

压水堆核电站燃料包壳破损状态下主系统氚的测量方法

福清核电站2号机组首循环期间燃料包壳发生了破损,释放到冷却剂中的裂变产物是造成氚测量结果波动较大的主要原因。本文给出了压水堆核电站燃料包壳破损状态下氚的建议测量方法,减少了主系统样品中裂变产物对氚测量的影响,提高了氚的分析准确性。     

压水堆核电厂厂房内气载放射性活度的分析与评价

介绍压水堆核电厂厂房内气载放射性活度计算的基本方法。根据相关1000 MW级压水堆核电厂的设计经验,分析正常功率运行、停堆余热排出和反应堆压力容器顶盖打开的各阶段惰性气体、裂变产物、活化腐蚀产物和氚的气载活度浓度。由燃料包壳破损和氧化操作导致的主回路碘峰及活化腐蚀产物急速增加,特别对余热排出阶段引起气载活度浓度升高的现象进行了详细计算。最后,基于核电厂各运行阶段的气载放射性活度变化趋势,就运行人员的内照射防护措施和通风排气设计提出改进意见。     

压水堆核电厂裂变产物源项计算方法研究

裂变产物作为一回路冷却剂中放射性核素的重要组成部分,在核电厂设计中具有非常重要的意义。文中对堆芯积存量计算模型、燃料包壳内裂变产物向一回路冷却剂释放模型、裂变产物在一回路中的平衡模型进行了分析与研究,并以典型压水堆核电厂为例进行了计算与验证,证实了本文中给出计算模型的合理性以及适用性,可供压水堆核电站裂变产物源项计算分析参考。     

新型可燃毒物设计与现代堆芯燃料管理

阐述了现代压水堆堆芯燃料管理对可燃毒物的新要求，评价了几种新型可燃毒物的设计特点，讨论了以秦山一期为代表的我国压水堆核电厂应用新型可燃毒物改进堆芯燃料管理的途径。     

压水堆核电厂在线啜吸检查及数据分析方法改进

在线啜吸是压水堆核电厂甄别燃料组件是否发生破损的一种有效措施,是进行燃料组件完整性管理的重要环节。本文介绍了在线啜吸实践中发现的标定和数据分析方法中存在的问题,分析了产生问题的原因,并提出改进的方法。经过实践验证,改进的方法能够有效提高在线啜吸检测和判断的可靠性,解决了在线啜吸标定可靠性差,数据分析筛查可疑燃料组件效率低的问题。     

法国已研制成功堆用新型锆合金

国外一些有核电的国家 ,如美、法、德、日等国 ,都在积极地开展深燃耗燃料元件的研究工作 ,其目标是延长燃料元件使用寿命、提高铀燃料利用率、降低燃料循环成本、降低核电成本。在开展此项研究试验工作中遴选出能经受物理、化学、机械、辐照、裂变气体等多方面作用的燃料元件包壳材料是十分重要的。要求在达到预定的深燃耗目标时 ,元件包壳材料不会发生破损。当前压水堆核电站燃料的燃耗设计值通常是 330 0 0兆瓦日 /吨铀。如果燃料在堆内使用时间由 1 2个月延长到 1 8个月 ,其燃耗提高到 4 5 0 0 0兆瓦日 /吨铀以上 ,那么燃料元件使用的锆…     

压水堆核电厂冷却剂碘同位素活度比值131I/133I与燃料完整性关系研究

压水堆核电厂正常运行期间燃料元件破损会造成一回路裂变产物活度升高,碘同位素活度比值131I/133I是行业内最常用的判断燃料破损情况的指标之一。本文介绍了压水堆正常运行期间冷却剂131I和133I的产生来源和迁移过程,建立模型估算了燃料完整、小破口和大破口情况下131I/133I范围,并通过在运CPR1000型压水堆核电厂的运行监测数据对计算模型进行了验证,两者符合得较好。     

压水堆完整和破损燃料棒燃料包壳化学相互作用层拉曼特征分析

为研究压水堆完整和破损燃料棒燃料包壳化学相互作用(FCCI)层物相结构组成及影响因素，通过拉曼光谱对燃耗为45 GW·d/tU和41 GW·d/tU的完整和破损燃料棒FCCI层进行了研究分析。结果表明：完整燃料棒形成了周向厚度为14～19μm的FCCI层，主要由两个不同相结构区域组成，分别为靠近包壳界面的单斜和四方相氧化锆混合区域及靠近燃料芯块的四方相区域，在包壳界面附近约7μm范围内，观察到明显的705 cm^-1特征峰，该峰的形成源于界面压应力和辐照缺陷的共同作用；破损燃料棒形成了周向厚度为37～61μm的FCCI层，主要由两个不同形貌和相结构区域组成，即靠近包壳界面附近具有多孔、裂纹特征的单斜相氧化锆区域以及靠近燃料芯块的非晶结构区域。对FCCI层相结构的分布及转变影响因素进行了分析讨论，完整燃料棒FCCI层中四方相氧化锆的稳定与界面压应力、中子辐照缺陷和裂变产物作用有关，破损燃料棒FCCI层中单斜相氧化锆的存在则主要来源于应力的弛豫和氧的正常化学计量比。     

缓发中子计算燃料元件破损方法研究

当燃料元件发生破损时,裂变产物会释放到主冷却剂中,引起主冷却剂放射性水平增加。根据燃料元件破损的监测数据,采用一定的计算方法,计算燃料元件破损数目,可为核电厂处理元件破损事故、确保反应堆和人员安全提供重要依据。本文对缓发中子先驱核产生、释放、迁移和探测器响应等过程进行深入研究,并对每个过程建立了数学计算模型,形成了1套根据缓发中子监测数据来计算燃料元件破损数目的方法。该方法可适用于多数反应堆的燃料元件破损数目计算。     

Improved-EDC tests on the Zircaloy-4 cladding tube with an outer surface pre-crack

In order to investigate the failure behavior of fuel cladding under a reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) condition, biaxial stress tests on unirradiated Zircaloy-4 cladding tube with an outer surface pre-crack were carried out under room temperature conditions by using an improved Expansion-Due-to-Compression (improved-EDC) test method which was developed by Japan Atomic Energy Agency. The specimens with an outer surface pre-crack were prepared by using Rolling-After-Grooving (RAG) method. In each test, a constant longitudinal tensile load of 0, 5.0 or 10.0 kN was applied along the axial direction of specimen, respectively. All specimens failed during the tests, and the morphology at the failure opening of the specimens was similar to that observed in the result of post-irradiation examinations of high burnup fuel which failed during a pulse irradiation experiment. The longitudinal strain (?_tz) at failure clearly increased with increasing longitudinal tensile loads and the circumferential strain (?_t?) at failure significantly decreased in the case of 5.0 and 10.0 kN tests, compared with the case of 0 kN tests. From these tests, the data of cladding failure were obtained in the range of strain ratio (?_tz/?_t?) between about ?0.6 and 0.7: this range of strain ratio covers the range between about 0.0 and 0.7 which is estimated in the case of RIA-simulated test. It is considered that the data obtained in this study can be used as a fundamental basis for quantifying the failure criteria of fuel cladding under a biaxial stress state.     

基于离散动态事件树的风险指引的安全裕度分析方法研究

风险指引的安全裕度是近十年来核工业界提出的新的安全理念。本文阐述了基于离散动态事件树的风险指引的安全裕度分析方法,给出该方法下核燃料包壳失效概率均值和标准差的数学表达式。针对简化压水堆模型下的全厂断电事故,提出了基于离散动态事件树的风险指引的安全裕度计算流程,计算了两种离散动态事件树分支规则下燃料包壳失效的风险指引的安全裕度及其不确定性。计算结果表明,不同的分支规则、模型参数分布、系统程序最大时间步长对核燃料包壳失效概率均值和标准差均有显著影响。提出了一种改进的可变概率阈值的分支方法,以更好地平衡风险指引的安全裕度分析过程中计算精度与计算资源的匹配问题。     

Development of fuel failure detection system for a high temperaturegas cooled reactor. II

For pt.I see ibid., vol.34, p.567 (1987). A fuel failure detection (FFD) method based on selective detection of short-life and gaseous fission products, developed for a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, is described. An improved precipitator was used as a detector for the fission products and the performance of the FFD system was tested using an irradiation rig at the Japan Material Testing Reactor. In the rig, three kinds of samples of coated-particle fuels were irradiated and each sample of the primary helium gas was fed to the FFD system. Failure rates of the three fuel samples called intact, normal, and slightly failed, were estimated at about 10^-6, 10^-5, and 10 ^-4, respectively. The FFD system showed a significantly increased response in counting rate for the sample gas with a failure rate of 10^-4. The FFD system did not respond to the sample gas with the smaller failure rate of 10^-5 even when the background level of long-life fission products in the primary coolant gas increased with fuel temperature and reactor power     

Behavior of Coated Fuel Particle of High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor under Reactivity-Initiated Accident Conditions

In order to clarify the failure mechanism and determine the failure limit of the High-Temperature Gascooled Reactor (HTGR) fuel under reactivity-initiated accident (RIA) conditions, pulse irradiations were performed with unirradiated coated fuel particles at the Nuclear Safety Research Reactor (NSRR). The energy deposition ranged from 0.578 to 1.869 kJ/gUO₂, in the pulse irradiations and the estimated peak temperature at the center of the fuel particle ranged from 1,510 to 3,950 K. Detailed examinations after the pulse irradiations showed that the coated fuel particles failed above 1.40 kJ/gUO₂, where the peak fuel temperature reached over the melting point of UO₂ fuel. It was concluded that the coated fuel particle was failed by the mechanical interaction between the melted and swelled fuel kernel and the coating layer under RIA conditions.     

压水堆核电站乏燃料元件γ扫描测量

在压水堆核电站乏燃料元件检验中,完成了4根完整元件棒、4根破损元件棒的γ扫描测量,元件燃耗分布在9600～45000 MW•d/t（U）之间,获得了完整元件轴向相对燃耗分布、破损元件¹³⁷Cs分布及迁移流失情况。结果显示,破损元件均存在不同程度的Cs迁移流失,破口处存在¹³⁷Cs计数突变（降低）。破损元件¹³⁴Cs/¹³⁷Cs原子比分布与相邻完整元件基本一致,表明¹³⁴Cs、¹³⁷Cs流失比例近似相等,可用¹³⁴Cs/¹³⁷Cs原子比表征其相对燃耗分布;破口处可通过低挥发性核素¹⁵⁴Eu计数水平判断燃料芯块是否缺失。检验结果可为燃料元件破损原因分析及堆内行为分析提供重要依据。     

Overview of high-temperature fuel behaviour with relevance to CANDU fuel

This paper provides an overview of high-temperature phenomena in nuclear fuel elements and bundles, with particular relevance to the CANDU fuel design. The paper describes heat generation, fuel thermal response, and thermophysical properties of the fuel and sheath that can affect the thermal and mechanical response of the fuel element. Sources of chemical heat that can arise during accident conditions in the fuel element are also detailed. Specific phenomena associated with fuel restructuring, fuel sheath deformation, fuel-to-sheath heat transfer, fuel sheath failure criteria, oxidation, hydriding and embrittlement of the Zircaloy sheath, gap transport processes in failed elements, fuel/sheath interaction and fuel dissolution by molten cladding are detailed as important phenomena that can impact reactor safety analysis. Fuel behaviour during a power pulse and fuel bundle behaviour that occurs during a severe reactor accident are further considered. The review also points out areas of further research that are needed for a more complete understanding.     

Additional studies of criticality safety of failed used nuclear fuel

Commercial used nuclear fuel (UNF) in the USA is expected to remain in storage for periods potentially greater than 40 years. Extended storage (ES) time and irradiation to high burnup values (>45 GWd t^?1) may increase the potential for fuel failure during normal and accident conditions involving storage and transportation. Fuel failure, depending on the severity, could result in changes to the geometric configuration of the fuel, which has safety and regulatory implications. The likelihood and extent of fuel reconfiguration and its impact on the safety of the UNF are not well understood. The objective of this work is to assess and quantify the impact of fuel reconfiguration due to fuel failure on the criticality safety of UNF in storage and transportation casks. Criticality analyses are conducted considering representative UNF designs covering a range of enrichments and burnups in multiple cask systems. Prior work developed a set of failed fuel configuration categories, and specific configurations were evaluated to understand trends and quantify the consequences of worst case potential reconfiguration progressions. These results are summarised here and indicate that the potential impacts on subcriticality can be rather significant for certain configurations (e.g. >20% Δk_eff). However, for credible fuel failure configurations from ES or transportation following ES, the consequences are judged to be manageable (e.g. <5% Δk_eff). The current work expands on the previous efforts by including part length rods in fresh boiling water reactor fuel assemblies and studying the effect of damage in varying numbers of fuel assemblies.     

Investigation of bounds on particle packing in pebble-bed high temperature reactors

Models and methods are presented for determining practical limits of the packing density of TRISO particles in fuel pebbles for a pebble-bed reactor (PBR). These models are devised for designing and interpreting fuel testing experiments. Two processes for particle failure are accounted for: failure of touching particles at the pressing stage in the pebble manufacturing process and failure due to inner pressure buildup during irradiation. The second process gains importance with increasing fuel temperature, which limits the particle packing density and the corresponding fuel enrichment. Suggestions for improvements to the models are presented.     

Development of diagnosis algorithm for the check valve with spectral estimations and neural network models using acoustic signals

We have developed a method for detecting and diagnosing a disk wear failure and a foreign object failure among the various failure modes of check valves. The method is based on the acoustic emission sensors which can detect the sound wave of the leakage flow and the estimation of the power spectral densities with an auto-regressive model. For validating the method, we implemented a hydraulic test loop with an artificially failed check valve. We have found that the frequency spectrums from the acoustic signals are strongly dependent on the failure modes of the check valve and that they are nearly independent of the failure size and operating pressure through an estimation of the power spectral density with an auto-regressive signal processing model. In addition, the root mean square values of the acoustic signal and the amplitudes of the power spectral density as well as the loop pressure have a strong dependency on the failure size in each failure mode of the check valve. We developed a diagnosis algorithm by using neural network models in order to identify the type and size of the failure in the check valve. The diagnosis algorithm consists of a hierarchical model composed of three back-propagation neural networks. The results of our research and the experiments show that the diagnosis algorithm is proven to be a good solution for identifying the failures of the check valves without any disassembling work.