Thermal and stability considerations for a supercritical water-cooled fast reactor with downward-flow channels during power-raising phase of plant startup

This paper describes study on the procedure of raising the reactor thermal power and the reactor coolant flow rate during the power-raising phase of plant startup for the supercritical water-cooled fast reactor (SWFR), which is selected as one of the Generation IV reactor concepts. Since part of the seed fuel assemblies and all the blanket fuel assemblies of the SWFR are cooled by downward flow, the feedwater from the reactor vessel inlet nozzle to the mixing plenum located below the core is distributed among these fuel assemblies and the downcomer. The flow rate distribution as the function of both the reactor thermal power and the feedwater flow rate, which are the design parameters for the power-raising phase, is obtained by the thermal hydraulic calculations. Based on the flow rate distribution, thermal analyses and thermal-hydraulic stability analyses are carried out in order to obtain the available region of the reactor thermal power and the feedwater flow rate for the power-raising phase. The criteria for the “available” region are the maximum cladding surface temperature (MCST) and the decay ratio of thermal-hydraulic stability in three “hot” channels; two seed assemblies with upward/downward flow and a blanket assembly. The effects of various heat transfer correlations and axial power distributions are also studied.     

Subchannel analysis of supercritical light water-cooled fast reactor assembly

Subchannel analyses have been carried out for supercritical water-cooled fast reactor fuel assembly. Peak cladding surface temperature difference arising from subchannel heterogeneities have been calculated by using the improved subchannel analysis code STARS and was evaluated to be about 18.5 °C. Several suggestions have been also made for reducing the PCST difference arising from channel heterogeneity. Influences of local power peaking on deflection of cladding surface temperature are explained with pin power distribution taken from core depletion calculation in this paper. Maximum cladding surface temperature at nominal condition is evaluated to be 645.3 °C over the cycle. Statistical thermal design uncertainty associated with PCST calculation is evaluated by Monte-Carlo sampling technique combined with subchannel analysis code. Maximum statistical design uncertainty of PCST is calculated to be 31 °C and is in a good agreement with that from RTDP method. Influence of downward flow in seed region on system sensitivity is investigated by improved Monte-Carlo thermal design procedure. Limiting thermal condition of MCST is 681 °C (650 °C of nominal + 31 °C) within 95/95 limit for SWFR.     

Thermo-mechanical analysis of supercritical pressure light water-cooled fast reactor fuel rod by FEMAXI-6 code

Thermo-mechanical behaviors of supercritical pressure light water cooled fast reactor (SWFR) fuel rod and cladding have been investigated by FEMAXI-6 (Ver.1) code with high enriched MOX fuel at elevated operating condition of high coolant system pressure (25 MPa) and high temperature (500 °C in core average outlet temperature). Fuel rod failure modes and associated fuel rod design criteria that is expected to be limiting in SWFR operating condition have been investigated in this fuel rod design study. Fuel centerline temperature is evaluated to be 1853 °C and fission gas release fraction is about 45% including helium production. Cumulative damage fraction is evaluated by linear life fraction rule with time-to-rupture correlation of advanced austenitic stainless steel. In a viewpoint of mechanical strength of fuel cladding against creep rupture and cladding collapse at high operation temperature, currently available stainless steels or being developed has a potential for application to SWFR. Admissible design range in terms of initial gas plenum pressure and its volume ratio are suggested for fuel rod design The stress ranges suggested by this study could be used as a preliminary target value of cladding material development for SWFR application.     

SCWR-FQT回路的冷却剂流量丧失事故研究

超临界水冷堆燃料验证实验（SCWR-FQT）将对1个小型燃料组件在超临界水环境下进行堆内性能测试。为了对该实验回路进行系统设计和安全分析,应用修改过的ATHLET程序建立实验回路计算模型,对两种造成燃料组件实验段冷却剂流量部分或全部丧失的设计基准事故进行模拟分析,即由于装载实验段的压力管内部的导向管破裂导致流经实验段的冷却剂旁通和主冷却剂泵卡轴事故。计算结果显示：实验段冷却剂旁通事故中,燃料包壳温度在事故初期出现约920 ℃的峰值;而主泵卡轴事故中,燃料包壳温度未明显升高。计算结果表明,现有的安全系统设计能保证在事故情况下维持燃料组件实验段的有效冷却。     

超临界水冷堆的安全分析

应用RELAP5-3D程序建立了超临界水冷堆(SCWR)的稳态模型,并在此基础上,分别对SCWR的两种瞬态和两种事故工况进行了分析。汽轮机旁路系统的存在可有效维持反应堆压力,保证反应堆安全。若SCWR失去给水,在辅助给水系统启动之前,向下流的水棒可通过热传导带走堆芯热量,并向燃料通道内提供冷却剂,缓解堆芯升温。因而,向下流的水棒体现了SCWR的安全性。主泵卡轴事故由于没有惰转,最热包壳温度值最大,因而主泵惰转可有效缓解包壳温度的升高。     

超临界水冷堆燃料性能验证实验回路的冷却剂丧失事故分析

超临界水冷堆燃料性能验证实验（SCWR-FQT）将对1个小型燃料组件在超临界水环境下进行堆内性能测试。本工作应用修改过的ATHLET程序对包含该燃料组件的超临界水冷实验回路进行建模,并对其冷却剂管道破口导致的失水事故进行分析计算。计算结果表明,现有安全系统设计基本能保证在这些事故情况下维持燃料棒实验段的有效冷却。结果显示,修改过的ATHLET程序对超临界水冷系统的模拟具有良好的适用性。     

CSR1000堆芯流量分配的研究

以中国百万千瓦级超临界水冷堆(CSR1000)堆芯为研究对象,建立热工水力计算模型,计算出冷却剂和慢化剂温度分布、堆芯功率分布、燃料组件出口压力及流量分配等参数。计算结果表明,适当增加堆芯内部燃料组件流量比例,可以有利于径向功率展平,内外燃料组件通道出口压降,呈现"N"型变化,增大内部燃料组件的堆芯入口功率,内部组件内的流量分配也将减少,而外部燃料组件通道中的流量将增加,适当调整堆芯入口流量初始分配比例,可以使各通道功率分布展平。     

超临界水冷堆典型非失水事故模拟

基于修改后的最佳估算程序ATHLET-SC建立了典型的超临界水冷反应堆系统模型。对3种典型的非失水事故（失去给水加热、汽轮机失去负载且旁排未开启、给水泵卡轴）进行了模拟和敏感性分析,得到了堆功率、质量流量、最高包壳温度和最高燃料中心温度随时间变化的计算结果。结果表明,上述事故中系统压力、最高燃料包壳温度和最高燃料中心温度均可满足事故安全准则。     

钠冷快堆乏燃料组件热工水力分析程序开发

为了对示范快堆乏燃料组件的热工水力特性进行分析,自主研发了钠冷快堆乏燃料组件热工水力分析程序SPATANS。该程序基于子通道分析方法,采用适用于低流量下的流动换热和交混关系式。针对乏燃料组件棒束区进行计算,得到组件不同高度处各子通道的温度、压力等热工参数,并将计算结果与三维计算流体力学FLUENT程序的结果进行对比分析。结果表明：自主研发程序的计算结果与FLUENT程序的计算结果较为吻合,偏差在工程可接受范围内,且其计算效率明显高于FLUENT程序。初步表明SPATANS程序可用于钠冷快堆乏燃料组件热工水力分析,并具有良好的应用前景。     

混合能谱超临界水堆堆芯设计分析

提出了一种新型的超临界水堆概念设计:混合能谱超临界水堆,它包括慢谱区和快谱区两部分.其慢谱区燃料组件采用双排燃料组件,快谱区采用简单的正方形栅元燃料组件.慢谱区与快谱区的燃料组件都采用同向流动方式来简化堆芯设计.慢谱区的冷却剂出口温度远低于整个堆芯的出口温度,这大大降低了慢谱区包壳的温度峰值.此外,由于快谱区冷却剂密度很小,流速很高,故可采用较大的栅元结构,这有效地降低了包壳周向局部传热不均匀性.所以混合堆在充分继承慢谱、快谱堆芯优点的基础上,弥补两者的不足.     

物理-热工耦合对超临界水堆系统特性的影响分析

物理-热工耦合是超临界水堆系统分析的关键问题之一。以日本超临界水冷热堆Super LWR的堆芯设计为例,借助Dragon编制中子截面数据库,建立双群中子扩散方程计算模块,联系同时建立的热工计算模块,得到超临界水堆的物理-热工耦合计算模型。通过对比稳态与瞬态工况下耦合前、后的热工工况,分析物理-热工耦合条件下的超临界水堆系统热工特性。结果表明：在稳态工况下,物理-热工耦合将导致内、外组件堆芯功率峰值沿轴向发生明显偏移,使得部分节点的包壳温度升高,但包壳最高温度降低;在瞬态工况下,物理-热工耦合将导致堆芯包壳最高温度的发生位置有所改变。发生给水加热丧失瞬态后,在某一时刻,外部组件的包壳最高温度将转而超过内部组件的包壳最高温度。可见,物理-热工耦合对包壳最高温度的大小和发生位置均可能产生明显影响。计算分析可为超临界水堆瞬态及安全分析提供相应理论参考。     

钠冷行波堆TP-1瞬态安全分析

钠冷行波堆作为一种具有潜力的新堆型,正处于概念研究阶段。本工作根据TerraPower公司最新设计的钠冷行波堆TP-1的具体结构和运行工况方案,建立其一回路主要部件的物理数学模型,用Fortran语言初步开发了钠冷行波堆瞬态安全分析程序TAST,并对钠冷行波堆稳态进行计算,表明系统程序运行稳定可靠。采用TAST对失流事故和反应性引入事故进行计算,得到关键参数的瞬态变化,初步验证了钠冷行波堆在这两个事故工况下的安全性。     

CFD simulation of the IAEA 10 MW generic MTR reactor under loss of flow transient

Three-dimensional simulation of the IAEA 10 MW generic reactor under loss of flow transient is introduced using the CFD code, Fluent. The IAEA reactor calculation is a safety-related benchmark problem for an idealized material testing reactor (MTR) pool type specified in order to compare calculational methods used in various research centers. The flow transients considered include fast loss of flow accidents (FLOFA) and slow loss of flow accidents (SLOFA) modeled with exponential flow decay and time constants of 1 and 25 s, respectively. The transients were initiated from a power of 12 MW with a flow trip point at 85% nominal flow and a 200 ms time delay. The simulation shows comparable results as those published by other research groups. However, interesting 3D patterns are shown that are usually lost based on the one-dimensional simulations that other research groups have introduced. In addition, information about the maximum clad surface temperature, the maximum fuel element temperature as well as the location of hot spots in fuel channel is also reported.     

A point-hydraulics model for flow stability analysis

The strong variation of the thermal–physical properties of supercritical fluids in the vicinity of the pseudo-critical line results in challenging tasks in thermal–hydraulic design of a supercritical water-cooled reactor (SCWR). One of the challenging tasks is to understand and to predict the dynamic behavior and flow stability of supercritical water-cooled systems. The present study introduces a new method, the so-called point-hydraulics model (PHM), to establish a criterion for predicting the onset of a self-sustaining flow oscillation in a closed cooling system. Four dimensionless numbers are clarified which affect the onset of flow instability. Based on this model, stability maps are derived which can be applied to any kind of fluids and operating conditions. The PHM model is applied to a simplified system cooled by supercritical water. Parameters affecting the flow stability are discussed. A good agreement is achieved between the PHM model and the numerical results obtained using the SASC code which was developed specifically for analyzing the dynamic behavior of systems cooled by supercritical fluids.     

A comparative study of the MATRA-LMR-FB calculation with the SABRE result for the flow blockage accident in the sodium cooled fast reactor

A sub-channel flow blockage may be initiated by an ingression of damaged fuel debris or foreign obstacles into a core subassembly for the sodium cooled fast reactor (SFR) due to the compact design of the fuel arrangement. Since local coolant temperature could go up high enough to reach a safety limit by the blockage disturbance in the subassembly, the MATRA-LMR-FB code was developed to analyze such blockage effect. An effort has been undergoing to enhance its reliability.In this study, a code-to-code comparison analysis with another code, SABRE4, was performed to supplement a qualification of the MATRA-LMR-FB. The two codes were applied to the analysis of partial sub-channel blockage accidents in a subassembly of the KALIMER-150, which is a conceptual design of a sodium-cooled fast reactor with an electric output of 150 MW. The analyses were carried out not only for radially different blockage positions but also for different blockage sizes in the subassembly.In result, the two code results were generally agreed both in magnitude and trend within a range. Therefore, it was concluded that the comparison results could support complementarily the applicability of the MATRA-LMR-FB to the partial flow blockage accident in the subassembly of the SFR.     

基于双区域模型的钠冷快堆组件子通道分析程序的开发与验证

子通道分析程序是钠冷快堆堆芯热工水力设计和安全分析的重要工具。本文为计算和分析钠冷快堆组件在径向均匀与倾斜功率分布工况下的热工水力特性,利用双区域绕丝交混模型开发了一款适用于钠冷快堆组件分析的子通道程序SPLICA,并与FFM2A 19棒束实验数据与WARD 61棒束实验数据进行了对比验证。由于本文开发的子通道分析程序SPLICA使用了详细的绕丝交混模型,与经过二次开发后的COBRA程序的计算结果相比,对于FFM2A实验SPLICA程序计算得到的结果与实验结果符合得更好。这两个实验数据的验证结果证明了本文开发的子通道分析程序的准确性以及对高流量工况和低流量工况均具有良好的适用性。本程序能为钠冷快堆组件热工水力分析提供有效的设计和研究手段。     

Accident analysis of lead or lead—bismuth cooled small safe long-life fast reactor using metallic or nitride fuel

Safety analysis of a lead or lead—bismuth cooled small safe long-life fast reactor was performed. It is proposed that the reactor be used in relatively isolated areas, and operated to the end of its life without refueling or fuel shuffling. In the present paper the reactor power and lifetime are set at 150 MWt and 12 years respectively. In order to assume its safety performance, the following accidents without scram were simulated with neutronic-thermal-hydraulic analysis: unprotected loss of flow (ULOF), unprotected rod run-out transient over power (UTOP), simultaneous ULOF and UTOP accidents, and simultaneous ULOF, UTOP and unprotected loss of heat sink (ULOHS) accidents. For each type of accident, four types of long-life small reactor (lead cooled metallic fueled, lead cooled nitride fueled, lead-bismuth cooled metallic fueled, and lead—bismuth cooled nitride fueled) were analyzed. It is shown that all the proposed designs can survive these accidents without requiring help from the operator or active devices.     

超临界二氧化碳模块化微型堆瞬态安全分析

超临界二氧化碳反应堆是一种极具潜力的新堆型,目前正处于概念设计阶段。本文以韩国科学技术院（KAIST）设计的超临界二氧化碳模块化微型堆（MMR）为研究对象,对一回路系统主要部件进行建模,并利用FORTRAN语言开发了适用于超临界二氧化碳反应堆的瞬态安全分析程序TRA_SCR。基于该程序,对KAIST MMR进行了稳态计算分析,验证了程序的正确性。同时,对部分无保护失流事故和无保护反应性引入事故进行了瞬态计算,获得了关键热工水力参数的瞬态特性。计算结果表明该反应堆系统具有较强的固有负反馈特性,且在所计算的事故中,包壳、燃料和冷却剂温度均未超出安全限值,表明了系统在上述事故下的安全性。但在上述无保护失流事故中,堆芯冷却剂出口温度接近安全限值,表明在该事故工况下,反应堆出口温度是制约系统安全性能的关键因素。     

Numerical investigation of supercritical water-cooled nuclear reactor in horizontal rod bundles

The commercial CFD code STAR-CD v4.02 is used as a numerical simulation tool for flows in the supercritical water-cooled nuclear reactor (SCWR). The basic heat transfer element in the reactor core can be considered as round rods and rod bundles. Reactors with vertical or horizontal flow in the core can be found. In vertically oriented core, symmetric characters of flow and heat transfer can be found and two-dimensional analyses are often performed. However, in horizontally oriented core the flow and heat transfer are fully three-dimensional due to the buoyancy effect. In this paper, horizontal rods and rod bundles at SCWR conditions are studied. Special STAR-CD subroutines were developed by the authors to correctly represent the dramatic change in physical properties of the supercritical water with temperature. In the rod bundle simulations, it is found that the geometry and orientation of the rod bundle have strong effects on the wall temperature distributions and heat transfers. In one orientation the square bundle has a higher wall temperature difference than other bundles. However, when the bundles are rotated by 90° the highest wall temperature difference is found in the hexagon bundle. Similar analysis could be useful in design and safety studies to obtain optimum fuel rod arrangement in a SCWR.     

LOCA Analysis of Super Fast Reactor

This paper describes loss of coolant accident (LOCA) analyses of the Supercritical-pressure Water-Cooled Fast Reactor (Super Fast Reactor). The features of the Super Fast Reactor are high power density and downward flow cooled fuel channels for the improvement of the economic potential of the Super Fast Reactor with high outlet steam temperature. The LOCA induces large pressure and coolant density change in the core. This change influences the flow distribution among the downward flow parallel channels. It will affect the safety of the Super Fast Reactor. LOCA analysis of Super Fast Reactor is important to understand the safety features of the Super Fast Reactor. Keeping the flow rate in the core is important for the safety of the Super Fast Reactor. In LOCA, it is difficult to maintain an adequate flow rate due to the once-through coolant cycle and the downward flow cooled fuel assemblies. Therefore, the early actuation of the Automatic Depressurization System (ADS) and reduction of the maximum linear heat generation rates of the downward flow seed fuel assemblies and Low-Pressure Core Spray (LPCS) system are necessary for the Super Fast Reactor to cool the core under LOCA. Analysis results show that the Super Fast Reactor can satisfy the safety criteria with these systems.