大型MOX燃料快堆钠空泡反应性微扰理论研究

钠空泡反应性效应是钠冷快堆核设计和安全分析的重要内容。本文基于多群节块扩散法,采用微扰理论推导出钠空泡反应性的计算方法,对1 000 MWe钠冷快堆MOX燃料堆芯的总钠空泡反应性、空间分布、物理分项进行了计算。结果表明,钠空泡反应性主要来源于中子泄漏的增加和能谱的硬化,两者一正一负,且空间分布规律相反,导致钠空泡反应性具有强烈的空间依赖性;对于所计算的MOX燃料堆芯钠空泡反应性高达3 $左右。计算和分析结果阐明了钠空泡反应性的产生机理和分布规律,可为低钠空泡的设计提供参考。     

Innovations in the ENHS reactor design and fuel cycle

A number of approaches were explored for improving characteristics of the encapsulated nuclear heat source (ENHS) reactor and its fuel cycle, including: increasing the ENHS module power, power density and the specific power, making the core design insensitive to the actinides composition variation with number of fuel recycling and reducing the positive void coefficient of reactivity. Design innovations examined for power increase include intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) design optimization, riser diameter optimization, introducing a flow partition inside the riser, increasing the cooling time of the LWR discharged TRU, increasing the minor actinides' concentration in the loaded fuel and split-enrichment for power flattening. Another design innovation described utilizes a unique synergism between the use of MA and the design of reduced power ENHS cores.

Also described is a radically different ENHS reactor concept that has a solid core from which heat pipes transport the fission power to a coolant circulating around the reflector. Promising features of this design concept include enhanced decay heat removal capability; no positive void reactivity coefficient; no direct contact between the fuel clad and the coolant; a core that is more robust for transportation; higher coolant temperature potentially offering higher energy conversion efficiency and hydrogen production capability.     

钠冷快堆反应性意外引入事故时停堆保护研究

在反应堆系统中,当反应堆处于异常工况时,如果运行参数超出保护限值,则由保护系统触发相关保护动作,以保证反应堆的状态符合事故验收准则的要求。本文将通过Simulink建立钠冷快堆主要系统模型,在发生反应性意外引入事故时,借鉴快堆事故分析中预期瞬态无停堆保护（ATWS）的分析方法,基于相应保护参数的测量误差和数据处理过程对反应堆一回路的保护参数及其整定值进行研究,并确保钠冷快堆的状态在整个反应性引入事故过程中符合钠冷快堆的事故验收准则。仿真结果表明,当发生补偿棒失控提升5 s和10 s时,目前的堆芯出口钠温、功率、功率流量比等保护参数的整定值、信号测量延迟及落棒时间可取其他值。当补偿棒失控提升15 s时,只要保证保护参数整定值、相应参数的信号测量延迟及落棒时间能使反应堆在36.45 s前进入深度次临界都是可以的。     

钠冷快堆六角形组件换热特性分析

钠冷快堆乏燃料组件在转运过程中,会暴露在传热性能较差的氩气环境中。为保证燃料组件温度在转运过程中低于安全限值,本研究基于37棒燃料组件开展了在氩气环境下的实验研究及数值模拟计算。研究结果表明：可采用等效导热法对组件内绕丝模型进行简化,简化模型能满足计算精度要求。将计算结果与实验研究结果进行对比分析,结果表明数值模拟方法能较好模拟组件在氩气环境下的换热。六角形燃料组件在氩气中的换热分析中,辐射换热具有重要的影响,实验工况下辐射换热占总换热量的36%～57%。     

钠冷快堆燃料组件热工水力特性数值模拟与分析

利用CFD程序CFX,分别对7、19、37、61根棒组成的三角形排列螺旋绕丝定位的钠冷快堆燃料组件棒束通道进行了热工水力特性的分析研究,并将结果与子通道程序SuperEnergy进行了对比验证。重点考察了棒束通道轴向流动分布、横向流交混效应及子通道轴向温升,分析了定位绕丝的影响。结果表明,绕丝对棒束通道的横向流交混效应、轴向流动分布及子通道温升有着重要影响,且随棒束的增多,通道内的流动趋向复杂化,轴向流动不均匀性有升高趋势。     

Void reactivity feedback in BWRs with MA bearing MOX fuels

In this study, we analyzed a response of a boiling water reactor (BWR) core with homogeneous U–Pu–MA fuel to a change of an in-core void percentage.     

池式钠冷快堆事故余热排出系统一回路仿真研究

池式钠冷快堆事故余热排出系统采用了非能动工作原理,依靠液态钠及空气的自然对流排出堆芯余热。为研究事故工况下余热排出系统一回路的换热能力,基于FORTRAN语言,建立堆芯单通道及盒间流模型,采用全隐二阶迎风差分格式及改进的欧拉法离散求解,对事故余热排出系统一回路系统进行数值模拟,并对全厂断电事故进行仿真计算验证。结果表明:该程序能较好地反映事故余热排出系统瞬态变化过程,并可达到超实时仿真。     

钠冷快堆乏燃料组件自然循环冷却瞬态过程的数值模拟研究

应用Fluent程序,对处于氩气中的钠冷快堆乏燃料组件自然循环冷却瞬态过程进行了三维数值模拟。计算获得了乏燃料组件内部冷却剂通道和外部区域的热工水力学现象及变化规律。结果表明:利用标记区域分割方法,将燃料棒间隙网格划分为绕丝网格和绕丝周边流体域网格,能在棒束区生成高质量结构化网格;在氩气自然循环冷却瞬态过程中,棒束区内子通道氩气流量增加速度落后于边子通道,内子通道升温更快;乏燃料组件棒束区温度在轴向呈现中心高、边缘低的分布特征;为避免包壳温度超过设计值,乏燃料组件处于氩气中的时间不宜超过6min。     

An analytical solution of the point kinetics equations with time-variable reactivity by the decomposition method

In this work, we report an analytical solution for the point kinetics equations by the decomposition method, assuming that the reactivity is an arbitrary function of time. The main idea initially consists in the determination of the point kinetics equations solution with constant reactivity by just using the well-known solution results of the first-order system of linear differential equations in matrix form with constant matrix entries. Applying the decomposition method, we are able to transform the point kinetics equations with time-variable reactivity into a set of recursive problems similar to the point kinetics equations with constant reactivity, which can be straightly solved by the mentioned technique. For illustration, we also report simulations for constant, linear and sinusoidal reactivity time functions as well comparisons with results in literature.     

聚变裂变混合乏燃料焚烧堆FDS-SFB燃料循环方案设计与分析

针对聚变裂变混合乏燃料焚烧堆FDS-SFB(Spent Fuel Burner),基于湿法和干法两种后处理技术途径提出了不同的燃料循环方案。并分别对FDS-SFB燃料循环所需的初装资源量、燃料制备和乏燃料后处理能力进行初步质量流分析和可行性初步评估。基于较好嬗变和增殖性能的FDS-SFB典型中子学方案的质量流初步分析表明:两种方案燃料循环其所需的初装资源量、燃料制备、乏燃料后处理能力具有初步的可行性。     

我国钍燃料循环发展研究

调研分析了钍燃料循环的优缺点和国内外研究现状.通过详细分析研究各种堆型的钍资源利用潜力,从核能可持续发展的角度出发,提出了我国钍燃料循环发展的有关结论和建议:(1)当前的核电堆型除高温堆外都不适合进行钍利用;(2)建议采用快堆/热中子堆联合钍燃料循环的方式进行钍资源利用;(3)先进反应堆研究应集中于其堆型本身的研发;(...     

钍燃料循环的现状和发展

概述钍燃料循环目前的发展状况。介绍了钍燃料循环在各种反应堆型中的应用,归纳了钍燃料循环的优势及其不足。指出目前钍燃料循环发展中的主要困难是乏燃料的后处理及经济性问题,阐述了国外的后处理尝试方法。     

关于我国核燃料闭合循环战略的讨论

按我国《核电中长期发展规划(2005—2020年)》,我国将坚持核燃料闭合循环的技术路线。讨论了实施核燃料闭合循环的意义,简要介绍了国际发展的基本态势。对几个相关问题,如商用乏燃料处理厂建设时机;钚的产用平衡;MOX燃料在热堆核电站使用的适应性;经济性等作了讨论,并提出政策建议。     

The closed on-site fuel cycle of the brest reactors

The BREST fast reactor with nitride fuel and lead coolant is being developed as a reactor of new generation, which has to meet a set of requirements placed upon innovative reactors, namely efficient use of fuel resources, nuclear, radiation and environmental safety, proliferation resistance, radwaste treatment and economic efficiency. Mixed uranium-plutonium mononitride fuel composition allows supporting in BREST reactor CBR≈1. It is not required to separate plutonium to produce “fresh” fuel. Coarse recovered fuel purification of fission products is allowed (residual content of FPs may be in the range of 10⁻² – 10⁻³ of their content in the irradiated fuel). High activity of the regenerated fuel caused by minor actinides is a radiation barrier against fuel thefts. The fuel cycle of the BREST-type reactors “burns” uranium-238, which must be added to the fuel during reprocessing. Plutonium is not extracted during reprocessing being a part of fuel composition, thus exhibiting an important nonproliferation feature.

The radiation equivalence between natural uranium consumed by the BREST NPP closed system and long-lived high-level radwaste is provided by actinides (U, Pu, Am) transmutation in the fuel and long-lived products (I, Tc) transmutation in the blanket. The high-level waste must be stored for approximately 200 years to reduce its activity by the factor of about 1000.

The design of the building and the entire set of the fuel cycle equipment has been completed for the demonstration BREST-OD-300 reactor, which includes all main features of the BREST-type reactor on-site closed fuel cycle.     

Hypothetical integration of a fast reactor to the fuel cycle in Slovakia

The inspiration for dealing with the topic of fuel cycle back-end was attendance at a European project called RED-IMPACT – Impact of Partitioning Transmutation and Waste Reduction Technologies. This paper includes an image how to re-use energetic potential of stored spent fuel and at the same time how to effectively reduce spent fuel and radioactive waste volumes aimed for deep repositories. The first part is based on the analysis of Pu and minor actinides (MA) content in actual VVER-440 spent fuel stored in Slovakia. The next parts present the hypothetical possibilities of reprocessing and Pu re-use in a fast reactor under Slovak conditions. For the hypothetical transmutation of heavy nuclides (Pu and MA) contained in Slovak spent fuel a SUPERPHENIX (SPX) fast reactor with increased power was chosen because a fast nuclear reactor cooled by sodium belongs to the group of Generation IV reactor systems. This article deals with the analysis of power production and fuel cycle indicators. The indicators of the SPX calculation model were compared with the results of the VVER-440 spent fuel with the initial fuel enrichment of 4.25% U-235 + 3.35% Gd₂O₃. The created SPX model in the spectral computer code HELIOS 1.10 consists of a fissile (fuel) and a fertile part (blanket). All kinds of calculations were performed by the computer code HELIOS 1.10. This study also exposes the HELIOS modelling and simulating borders.     

压水堆平衡堆芯钍铀燃料循环初步研究

建立WIMSD5-SN2-CYCLE3D和CASMO3-CYCLE3D物理分析系统作为钍铀燃料循环研究工具.以大亚湾第1机组压水堆为参考堆型,不改变反应堆栅元、组件和堆芯的结构与几何尺寸,设计出含36根钍棒、4.2#5U富集度的新型含钍组件,并对含钍组件和3.2%富集度的铀组件进行中子学计算和分析.模拟并分析了大亚湾压水堆12个月换料从初始循环到铀钚平衡循环的换料过程.再从平衡铀堆芯出发,逐步加入含钍组件代替铀组件,对铀钚平衡循环到钍铀平衡循环的换料过程进行了模拟与分析.计算结果表明:钍铀平衡循环比铀钚平衡循环每天节省裂变核素质量约18.4%,并减少了长寿命放射性核废料的产生.不利因素是使得循环长度减少90EFPD,缩短了换料周期,增加运行费用,并给燃料管理、安全控制以及乏燃料的处理带来困难.建议提高组件的235U富集度,在压水堆上进行钍利用研究.     

核燃料循环设施物项安全分级方法研究

简单合理的物项安全分级,不仅可以提高设施的安全性,而且还可以减少审评双方的分歧,降低营运单位和设计单位的工作量。在分析国内外核动力装置采用核安全功能进行物项安全分级和乏燃料后处理设施采用剂量准则开展物项安全分级的基础上,研究提出了采用放射性物质包容量开展核燃料循环设施的物项安全分级的方法,并采用“未缓解释放”的事故分析方法,将放化安全一级(250 mSv)和放化安全二级(5 mSv)对应的剂量准则转化为放射性物质包容量限值。     

Investigation of the void reactivity effect in large-size Lead Fast Reactors

An aspect of great relevance in Lead Fast Reactors (LFRs) is the actual void reactivity evaluation. The purpose of this work is double: to inquire into the physical problem, and to evaluate the impact of different approaches and numerical methods on the calculation of the critical reactor parameters involved. Thus, results concerning void effect contributors have been evaluated through a cross-checked analysis performed by means of both a deterministic and a stochastic code. The field of investigation that has been assumed consists in the reference configuration of the 600 MW_e European Lead-cooled SYstem (ELSY), under development within the 6th and 7th EURATOM Framework Programmes. Calculations have been carried out on a 1500 MW_th MOX-fuelled core, composed by wrapper-less square Fuel Assemblies (FAs) with pins on a square lattice. The ERANOS (European Reactor Analysis Optimized System) deterministic code ver. 2.1 and the MCNP Monte Carlo code ver. 4c have been employed in conjunction with the JEFF-3.1 nuclear data library to assess the void reactivity variation and its breakdown into the most relevant nuclides, using both the neutron balance equation method and perturbation theory. Results have shown a very good agreement between ERANOS and MCNP outcomes: the huge reactivity worth determined by the core active region voiding (approximately 5000 pcm) is due to the predominant contributions of even isotopes – among which ²³⁸U plays a major role, being responsible for roughly 4300 pcm – as a consequence of their fission cross-section high sensitivity to spectral hardening (threshold reactions), despite their modest contribution to the total fissions.     

Investigation of the MSFR core physics and fuel cycle characteristics

The adoption of Th fuel in fast reactors is being reconsidered due to the potential favorable impact on actinide waste management and resource availability. A closed Th cycle leads to an actinide inventory with lower radiotoxicity and heat load for the first several thousands of years. Due to the typically low TRansUranic (TRU) Conversion Ratio (CR), Th can also be advantageous to expedite the consumption of legacy TRU. One of the main obstacles to the implementation of Th is the highly radioactive recycled fuel which requires remote handling under heavy shielding, inevitably penalizing economics and challenging conventional pin-based fuel manufacturing. From this perspective, the development of liquid-fuelled reactors, with Molten Salt Reactors regarded as the most promising, appears particularly attractive as fuel handling would be greatly simplified. The present paper investigates the fuel cycle performances of the reference GEN-IV Molten Salt Fast Reactor (MSFR) in terms of isotope evolution, radiotoxicity generation and safety-related parameters. Similarly to most MSR concepts proposed in the past, the MSFR is based on the fluoride molten salt technology, but it features the novelty of a fast neutron spectrum. Calculations are performed using state-of-the-art equilibrium-cycle methodologies, i.e., the ERANOS-based EQL3D procedure developed at the Paul Scherrer Institut and extended to the simulation of the MSFR. Selected results have been benchmarked with the Monte Carlo code PSG2/SERPENT. These results have also been used for the assessment of a diffusion module based on the COMSOL multi-physics toolkit, which is the subject of current studies aimed at efficiently simulating the peculiar MSFR transient behavior.