CF系列燃料组件落棒性能综合评价

核电压水堆燃料组件中导向管主要功能是为控制棒组件的快速下插提供通道,并且依靠导向管下部缓冲段结构减缓控制棒下落速度,减小冲击力,保证燃料组件结构完整。首先运用落棒时程分析程序(CIGAL)计算得到CF系列燃料组件落棒时间,再利用落棒缓冲分析程序(SAM)计算CF系列燃料组件中缓冲过程冲击力。结果表明:CF3相对于CF2,随着导向管内径减小以及轴肩螺钉孔长度增加,落棒时间变长;落棒过程中缓冲段内压强最大值增大;控制棒组件对燃料组件上管座冲击力最大值减小;控制棒组件撞击之前控制棒在缓冲段内运动时间变长。     

燃料组件流致振动试验研究

采用试验的方法对燃料组件的振动特性和流致振动响应进行研究,获得了燃料组件的固有振动特性;各稳态工况的流致振动响应规律:响应随流量的增加而增加;瞬态工况下振幅、频率与时间(流量)的三维瀑布图以及定位格架的运动轨迹。试验所获得的完整、可靠的数据为燃料组件的设计、安全分析和磨蚀试验提供重要的输入参数,为最终的安全评审提供依据。     

横向功率分布对板型燃料温度场特性影响研究

采用CFX-Fluent对国际原子能机构(IAEA)提出的10 MW材料测试堆(MTR)典型栅元建模分析,研究板型燃料元件横向上均匀分布、中心高分布和中心低分布3种不同功率分布下的燃料及冷却剂温度分布特征。研究结果表明,由于燃料端部结构材料不发热和横向导热的存在,流道的端部存在冷芯;在核设计、热工水力设计和安全分析中应考虑燃料功率分布的横向分区及导热效应。     

基于流固热耦合的燃料元件包壳结构完整性分析

反应堆系统发生瞬态工况时,冷却剂温度的瞬间大幅度变化会对燃料元件包壳结构完整性造成冲击,危及反应堆安全。本文以某压水堆3×3燃料组件为对象,采用流固热耦合方法对冷水事故下燃料组件的流动换热特性和燃料元件包壳温度、变形及应力进行了三维精细化模拟。结果表明:定位格架能够增强燃料棒表面的对流换热强度;包壳变形时向与刚凸接触的一侧折弯,向与弹簧接触的一侧凸起;包壳与定位格架接触部位的温度和最大等效应力随事故时间不断增大,且最大等效应力超过了包壳材料的屈服强度,将发生强度失效,影响其结构完整性。本文研究可为反应堆燃料元件包壳瞬态工况下的完整性评价提供借鉴。      

NHR200-II燃料组件定位格架简化建模方法研究

提出了一种基于NHR200-II供热堆燃料组件定位格架的简化模型。简化建模方法包括2方面:将定位格架上的内刚凸及三弯弹簧用非线性连接器代替;使用梁单元代替实际燃料棒。结合前期关于NHR200-II定位格架的研究成果,确定了非线性连接器的刚度,并通过有限元软件建立了燃料组件简化前后的1×2局部子模型,分析了其固有频率与碰撞特性,证明了简化建模方法的有效性。随后,该简化方法被应用于全尺寸的9×9定位格架模型,研究了格架夹持能力对动力学特性的影响,结果表明,该简化方法可以有效地模拟不同夹紧程度下格架的地震谱响应。综上,从有限元建模角度来看,本文提出的基于NHR200-II燃料组件定位格架的方法是有效的。      

基于替代材料的燃料棒熔化实验研究

为获得核反应堆燃料元件熔化以及熔融物扩展和消熔过程中的关键实验数据,本研究将典型压水堆中的燃料棒元件作为研究对象,在堆芯材料严重事故现象可视化研究实验装置FROMA上开展了低温条件下的燃料棒熔化实验。实验采用锌-铝的替代材料燃料棒,开展了单棒的熔化凝固可视化研究,获得了严重事故过程中燃料棒包壳的瞬态轴向温度分布特性以及熔融物扩展、迁移和再定位的动态过程。本研究基于实验数据对熔融物的流动、扩展和凝固、迁移等相关的物理现象和过程进行深入分析,为反应堆严重事故现象分析模型的开发提供了数据支持。     

板状燃料组件非线性振动特性

设计1个能模拟堆芯燃料组件工作环境和力学边界条件的台架,研究板状燃料组件的非线性振动行为。对安装在振动台上的系统进行白噪声随机激励,得到燃料组件响应-激励关系不同方向、不同介质、不同振级共42种工况的系列曲线。试验结果表明:随着激励振级加大,板状燃料组件的第一阶共振频率减小;板状燃料组件在水中的第一阶共振频率远比在空气中的小,且非线性特性仍呈软弹簧特性;板状燃料组件在环境中的振动阻尼大,能大大抑制抗震响应。     

组件型熔盐堆燃料组件的设计研究

熔盐堆是第四代核反应堆的六种构型之一,具有良好的经济性和固有安全性。以球形包覆颗粒燃料元件为基本单元设计了可用于熔盐冷却高温堆的燃料组件,并在此燃料组件模型下构建了组件型熔盐堆堆芯,研究了组件容器材料的种类、密度、厚度以及球形燃料元件中包覆颗粒填充率、FLi Be熔盐中7Li富集度对无限介质增殖因数K_(inf)、冷却剂反应性温度系数(Reactivity Temperature Coefficient,RTC)、排空反应性(Void Reactivity,VR)的影响。结果表明,作为组件材料,碳材料明显优于碳化硅材料;提高包覆颗粒(Tristructural Isotropic,TRISO)填充率、7Li富集度有利于提高堆芯的中子经济性和安全性。     

燃料元件堆内考验试验技术研究

仪表化压水堆燃料元件的堆内试验研究采用的燃料组件有4根仪表化燃料元件,共安装了12副测量传感器。燃料元件采用双层包壳结构,以提高燃料辐照温度。其中2根燃料元件安装了燃料中心温度传感器和元件表面温度传感器,另外2根安装了膜片式压力传感器。燃料组件上还安装了冷却剂温度传感器和自给能中子探测器等。     

破损燃料组件热室检查技术研究

燃料组件破损直接影响了反应堆的安全运行,分析燃料组件破损原因是燃料组件研发改进的重要环节。通过破损燃料组件水下解体、破口位置定位、破口试样取样等关键技术的研究,建立了破损燃料组件热室检查方法。研究结果表明,该技术路线合理,检查方法可行,为热室条件下开展燃料元件破损检查提供了技术途径。?      

堆芯燃料组件抗震分析简化模型研究

针对堆芯燃料组件在地震作用下可能发生的结构变形及破坏现象,采用简化方法对燃料组件进行时程分析,计算地震工况下格架所受的碰撞载荷以及应力情况,并将计算值与格架的压塌载荷以及导向管的应力限值进行了比较,从而对堆芯燃料组件的结构完整性进行了评估,为日后堆芯燃料组件结构的抗震性能分析计算提供参考。     

A methodology for the evaluation of fuel rod failures under accident conditions

Abstract

Recent studies on the long-term behaviour of high-burnup spent fuel have shown that, under normal conditions of storage, challenges to cladding integrity from various postulated damage mechanisms, such as delayed hydride cracking, stress-corrosion cracking and long-term creep, would not lead to any significant safety concerns during dry storage, and regulatory rules have subsequently been established to ensure that a compatible level of safety is maintained. However, similar regulatory rules have not yet been developed to address failures of fuel rod cladding that could potentially lead to reconfigured fuel geometry under hypothetical transport accidents. At issue is the effect on cladding ductility of potential changes in zirconium hydride morphology during dry storage. Recent studies have shown that above a certain level of cladding hoop stress, the decaying temperature history during dry storage can cause the hydrogen in solid solution to precipitate in the form of radial hydrides, which, depending on their relative concentration, can induce brittle failures in the cladding. From a US regulatory perspective such cladding failures, if they were to cause fuel reconfiguration, could invalidate the cask's criticality and shielding licensing analyses, which are based on coherent geometry. This paper describes a methodology for high-burnup spent fuel to determine the frequency of cladding failure and failure modes under drop accidents, considering end-of-storage spent fuel conditions. The degree to which spent fuel reconfiguration could occur during handling or transport accidents would depend to a large extent on the number of fuel rod failures and the type and geometry of the failure modes. Such information can only be developed analytically, as there are no direct experimental data that can provide guidance on the level of damage that can be expected. To this end, this paper focuses on the development of a methodology for modelling and analysis that deals with this general problem on a generic basis. First, consideration is given to defining accident loading that is equivalent to the bounding hypothetical transport accident of a 9 m drop onto an essentially unyielding surface. Second, an analytically robust material constitutive model, an essential element in a successful structural analysis, is required. A model of material behaviour, with embedded failure criteria, for cladding containing various concentrations of circumferentially and radially oriented hydrides has been developed and implemented in a finite-element code. The hydride precipitation model, which describes the hydride structure of the cladding at the end of dry storage, and the hydride-dependent properties of high-burnup fuel cladding form the main input to the constitutive model. The third element in the overall process is to utilise this material model and its host finite-element code in the structural analysis of a transport cask subjected to bounding accident loading to calculate fuel rod failures and failure mode configurations. This requires detailed modelling of the transport cask and its internal structure, which includes the canister, basket, fuel assembly grids and fuel rods. The overall methodology is described.     

快堆燃料组件少棒替代方法研究

快堆堆芯流量分配实验需大量燃料组件,为缩短燃料组件的加工周期,需寻找一种可简化燃料组件结构的思路。本文采用CTS理论算法,计算了燃料组件结构参数变化对组件水力特性的影响,提出了采用较少燃料棒替代组件完成试验的思路。该方法不改变组件外部结构与试验环境,仅用少量燃料棒获得与多棒燃料组件相同的水力特性。计算结果表明,替代组件与原组件水力曲线吻合较好,可达到替代效果。     

海洋环境下浮动核电站堆内燃料组件结构安全分析

针对海洋环境下浮动核电站堆内燃料组件的结构安全问题,结合水动力学和结构力学,考虑燃料组件在堆内作业和海上换料两种状态,以及海洋环境下船体随机运动响应的影响,对燃料组件的结构载荷进行计算,从而校核燃料组件在堆内作业时的结构安全,并为实施海上换料作业的可行性提供理论依据。以海洋核动力平台为例,首先对平台进行时域计算,得到船体重心的六自由度运动时历曲线,然后采用远程位移方法将船体运动传递到反应堆,实现对反应堆随船体运动的数值模拟,进而对燃料组件的应力、应变最大值进行求解。结果表明,与船体静止状态下相比,燃料组件的应力、应变最大值在船体运动状态下明显增大,说明在对浮动核电站堆内燃料组件进行结构安全分析时必须考虑海洋环境下船体的随机运动响应。     

Integrity evaluation of fuel assembly for earthquake

In the present study, a method for the dynamic analysis of a reactor core is developed. Peak responses for the motions induced from earthquake are obtained for a core model. The dynamic responses such as fuel assembly shear force, bending moment, axial force and displacement, and spacer grid impact loads are investigated. Prediction of fuel assembly stress during an earthquake requires development of a fuel assembly stress analysis model capable of interfacing with the models and results discussed in the dynamic analysis of a reactor core. This analysis uses beam characteristics which describe the overall fuel assembly response. The stress analysis method and its application for the case of an increased seismic level are also presented.     

中空六棱柱燃料元件热-力学性能研究

中空六棱柱燃料元件在高温气冷堆方面有广泛应用,为研究中空六棱柱燃料元件的堆内性能,评价其失效概率,针对高温气冷堆用中空六棱柱燃料元件进行了热-力学行为分析,采用多物理场耦合的方法计算了中空六棱柱燃料元件的热-力学行为,分析了中空六棱柱燃料元件在较低中子注量条件下的温度场、变形、应力分布以及失效概率。结果表明,中空六棱柱燃料元件的最高运行温度约为1020 K,SiC基体的最大应力约为107.32 MPa、失效概率为3.52×10?4,SiC基体较低的失效概率保证了燃料元件的结构完整性。在较低中子注量下,中空六棱柱燃料元件的运行温度和应力均较低并且可以保证结构完整,具有良好的堆内运行状态。      

快堆MOX元件运输容器的缓冲器研究

快堆MOX元件运输容器的缓冲器是决定其放射性包容边界安全的重要部件。某型号MOX元件运输容器的缓冲器材料首次选择泡沫铝,通过自由下落试验的标准姿态进行吸能原理分析,设计出了适用于缓冲器材料的型号、结构及关键参数。对选定的材料进行了拉伸、压缩、剪切3种准静态和动态力学性能试验,获得了用于数值模拟计算的材料本构关系参数,并对模型参数进行了测试,用弯曲试验进行了验证。有限元分析和试验结果对比显示：运输容器缓冲器材料的本构关系具有适用性,可用于快堆某型号MOX元件运输容器的自由下落分析计算。     

Analysis of the axial fitting clearance between the fuel rod and the end seat in CIADS

The fuel assembly is key structure in China Initiative Accelerator Driven System, and the axial fitting clearance (AFC) for the fuel assembly design is an essen-tial subject of study. In this paper, different methods are used to calculate critical stress in cylindrical shells. Because the thermal expansion of fuel assembly outer tube is larger than that of the cladding of fuel rod, enough space should be reserved between the upper end plug and upper seat slot. The collapse critical compressive stress of the cladding is obtained numerically through ANSYS simula-tion calculation. The AFC range between the fuel rod cladding and the end seat due to the displacement of thermal expansion is given by the theoretical formulas and ANSYS buckling analysis. These provide a reference for the AFC design of the reactor fuel assembly.     

Development and benchmarking of a mechanical model for GFR plate-type fuel

The reference fuel design currently being considered within the Generation-IV Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) project is a ceramic plate matrix with a honeycomb inner structure containing small fuel cylinders. The fuel is mixed plutonium–uranium carbide, while the matrix material is silicon carbide. The present paper describes the mechanical part of a thermal–mechanical model being developed for studying the transient behavior of this highly heterogeneous fuel type. Benchmarking has been carried out against detailed finite-elements modeling (FEM).The resultant thermal–mechanical model can provide reliable fuel and cladding (matrix) stress/strain conditions to evaluate temperatures and neutronic feedbacks. As such, it has been integrated into PSI’s coupled code system “FAST”, which aims at the comprehensive safety analysis of advanced fast reactor systems.The detailed FEM analysis of the GFR fuel has been useful not only for benchmarking the new model, but also for obtaining an in-depth understanding of fuel stress/strain characteristics, which cannot be reproduced with simplified models. Thereby, the range of applicability of the new model has clearly been defined. In particular, the 3D FEM analysis has revealed a concentration of stresses at the pellet corners during pellet/matrix contact, which could lead to fuel element failure. This effect is found to be mitigated considerably, if the fuel pellets are shaped in a manner which enhances the contact area.