Space-dependent analysis of BWR core nuclear thermal hydraulic instability and thermal margin

Nuclear thermal hydraulic oscillations in BWR cores were analyzed by the space-dependent BWR core transient program STANDY. In a simulation of instability in the Lasalle-2 unit, the oscillations that caused a scram were successfully reproduced. The maximum thermal margin decrement was far smaller than the initial margin, and significant margin to thermal limits existed at the time of scram. An analysis of hypothetical control rod insertion suggested that the oscillations could have been suppressed by only a few control rods. Analyses of a core destabilized by various parameters were also carried out to examine thermal margin sensitivity during the oscillations. The results showed that, regardless of which parameters were assumed to make the core unstable, thermal margin changes were substantially smaller than the initial margin expected under operation conditions to cause an instability.     

Treatment of the thermal–hydraulic uncertainties in the pressurized thermal shock analysis

The pressurized thermal shock (PTS) analysis is a quantitative analysis to calculate the vessel failure probability of the embrittled reactor pressure vessel. The PTS analysis consists of three major parts, such as the probabilistic safety analysis (PSA), the thermal–hydraulic analysis (T/H), and the probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) analysis. Because each analysis involves many parameters and assumptions associated with the uncertainties, it is important to identify and incorporate them into the analysis. Though the PSA and PFM analysis can be easily treated statistically, the thermal–hydraulic analysis results are very difficult to be treated statistically. Instead, sensitivity analyses of the thermal–hydraulic inputs were performed to understand the significance of the variation in the thermal–hydraulic inputs to the PFM analysis. In this study, the existing PFM code was modified to incorporate the uncertainties in the thermal–hydraulic inputs for the PFM analysis. The effects of the uncertainties in the thermal–hydraulic inputs for the vessel failure probabilities were evaluated using the modified code. The results showed the effects of uncertainties in the thermal–hydraulic inputs on the vessel failure probabilities are not significant for the ranges of the transient types. Even for the larger uncertainties, the effects on the vessel failure probabilities are small. Also, the effects of the thermal–hydraulic uncertainties vary depending on the transient characteristics such that the effects are greatest for the pressure dominant transient. Within the transient, the relative increases in the failure probabilities are greatest for the circumferentially oriented semi-elliptical flaws. It was found that the results of the sensitivity analysis using one standard deviation are conservative enough to bound the analysis results considering the uncertainties in the thermal–hydraulic inputs.     

Steady-state thermal hydraulic analysis of the equilibrium core of Pakistan research reactor-1

Steady-state thermal hydraulic analysis of Pakistan Research Reactor-1 (PARR-1) has been carried out. RELAP5/Mod 3.4 (a best-estimate system code) was employed. PARR-1 is a swimming pool type research reactor using MTR (Material Testing Reactor) type fuel. It uses low enriched uranium (<20%) fuel with light water flowing from top to bottom under gravity. Standard correlations were employed to compute various parameters, which include: coolant velocity distribution in the core; critical velocity; pressure drop; saturation temperature; temperature distribution in the core, OFI (onset of flow instability) and DNB (departure from nucleate boiling).     

Implication of PSA uncertainties on risk-informed decision making

Nuclear power plants risk-informed policy is introduced in order to improve safety decision making and regulatory efficiency. The corresponding regulatory guides define the acceptable risk measures and their changes resulting from the modifications in the licensed design of the nuclear power plant. The risk measures used in the acceptance guidelines are the core damage frequency and large early release frequency.The risk measures and their corresponding changes are assessed by the Probabilistic Safety Assessment. The uncertainties of Probabilistic Safety Assessment should be appropriately addressed in the context of the decision making, considering their implication on the obtained results. The Probabilistic Safety Assessment uncertainties include epistemic uncertainties resulting from parameter, model, and completeness uncertainties.The paper presents the obtained results from the uncertainty analysis of the Probabilistic Safety Assessment of the reference nuclear power plant and their implication on risk-informed decision making. The paper focuses particularly on parameter and model uncertainties. The analysed modification is extension of the test interval of the emergency diesel generators. The core damage frequency is the used risk measure in the analysis.The need for the appropriate consideration of the uncertainties in the Probabilistic Safety Assessment in order to adequately support the risk-informed decision making is identified. The deficiency of usage of percentile measures is identified and acknowledged. The need for the adaptation of the risk-informed decision-making principles considering new nuclear power plants is recognized.     

Effects of transverse power distribution on thermal hydraulic analysis

To investigate the effects of transverse power distribution on fuel temperature, a two-dimensional thermal analysis model was developed in this study. An equilibrium reactor core with 22 fuel assemblies facilitated with plate-type fuel was modeled using Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code, and the fuel assembly that released the largest amount of power was obtained. The fuel plates were divided into 4 or 12 vertical stripes within the fuel width in order to obtain the transverse power distributions. With 4 stripes in the fuel, the highest power peaking was 2.36, whereas the highest power peaking was 2.70 with 12 stripes in the fuel. A 6th order polynomial was generated to predict the local power peaking at the edge of the fuel. Using this 6th order polynomial, the maximum power peaking at the edge of the fuel was 3.06. As per transverse power distributions, the temperature at the edge of the fuel should have been higher with a higher power peaking. However, the maximum temperature in the fuel decreased with a power peaking higher than 2.65. This was because the high power locally released from the edge of the fuel was immediately dissipated to the cladding by lateral heat conduction. As with the maximum temperature, the heat flux also overshot and converged at a certain value. This showed that the fuel did not need to be divided into more than 18 vertical stripes within the fuel width in order to obtain the local power peaking from nuclear physics calculations.     

Steady thermal hydraulic analysis for a molten salt reactor

The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) can meet the demand of transmutation and breeding. In this study, theoretical calculation of steady thermal hydraulic characteristics of a graphite-moderated channel type MSR is conducted. The DRAGON code is adopted to calculate the axial and radial power factor firstly. The flow and heat transfer model in the fuel salt and graphite are developed on basis of the fundamental mass, momentum and energy equations. The results show the detailed flow distribution in the core, and the temperature profiles of the fuel salt, inner and outer wall in the nine typical elements along the axial flow direction are also obtained.     

Boiling thermal hydraulic analysis of multichannel low flow

Internal circulation occurs in a multi-channel system when the flow is heated non-uniformly causing natural convection currents. This paper describes a quasi-steady state approach for obtaining the flow distribution among the various channels over a wide range of transients. A unique solution is sought in the stable regime for single or two-phase coolant. The two sample cases discussed are: (1) bulk heating and boiling in an isolated reactor core, and (2) flow reversal in a reactor core.     

Perspectives on the application of order-statistics in best-estimate plus uncertainty nuclear safety analysis

The application of order-statistics in best-estimate plus uncertainty nuclear safety analysis has received a considerable amount of attention from methodology practitioners, regulators, and academia. At the root of the debate are two questions: (1) what is an appropriate quantitative interpretation of “high level of probability” in regulatory language appearing in the LOCA rule, 10 CFR 50.46 and (2) how best to mathematically characterize the multi-variate case. An original derivation is offered to provide a quantitative basis for “high level of probability.” At root of the second question is whether one should recognize a probability statement based on the tolerance region method of Wald and Guba, et al., for multi-variate problems, one explicitly based on the regulatory limits, best articulated in the Wallis-Nutt “Testing Method”, or something else entirely.This paper reviews the origins of the different positions, key assumptions, limitations, and relationship to addressing acceptance criteria. It presents a mathematical interpretation of the regulatory language, including a complete derivation of uni-variate order-statistics (as credited in AREVA's Realistic Large Break LOCA methodology) and extension to multi-variate situations. Lastly, it provides recommendations for LOCA applications, endorsing the “Testing Method” and addressing acceptance methods allowing for limited sample failures.     

Preliminary thermal hydraulic safety analysis of water-cooled ceramic breeder blanket for CFETR

The Chinese fusion engineering test reactor (CFETR) was expected to bridge from the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) to the demonstration fusion reactor (DEMO). The water-cooled ceramic breeder (WCCB) blanket is one of the blanket candidates for CFETR. In this paper, preliminary thermal hydraulic safety analyses have been carried out using the system safety analysis code RELAP5 originally developed for light water fission reactors. The pulse operation and three typical loss of coolant accidents (LOCAs), namely, in-vessel LOCA, in-box LOCA, and ex-vessel LOCA, were simulated based on steady-state initialization. Simulation results show that important thermal hydraulic parameters, such as pressure and temperature can meet the design criterion which preliminarily verifies the feasibility of the WCCB blanket from the safety point of view.     

Development of a thermal hydraulic analysis code for gas-cooled reactors with annular fuels

Gas-cooled reactors have been highlighted as a promising option for next generation reactor technology. A thermal hydraulic analysis code for gas-cooled reactors has been developed with a heat transfer model of a block element, which is solved implicitly with the helium energy equation. Validation was carried out through comparison with both experimental and analytical results. A computation module for annular fuel rods has been coupled to the code for comparative analyses of an annular fuel-based block element. At normal operation, the annular fuel shows 80 °C lower peak temperature than the solid fuel for the same power in Japan's high temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR), even though the pressure drop is higher in the annular fuel.     

Creep rupture assessment for Level-2 PSA of a 2-loop PWR: accounting for phenomenological uncertainties

The Level-2 probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) of pressurized water reactors studies the possibility of creep rupture for major reactor coolant system components during the course of high pressure severe accident sequences.The present paper covers this technical issue and tries to quantify its associated phenomenological uncertainties for the development of Level-2 PSA.A framework is proposed for the formal quantification of uncertainties in the Level-2 PSA model of a PWR type nuclear power plant using an integrated deterministic and PSA approach.This is demonstrated for estimation of creep rupture failure probability in station blackout severe accident of a 2-loop PWR,which is the representative case for high pressure sequences.MELCOR 1.8.6 code is employed here as the deterministic tool for the assessment of physical phenomena in the course of accident.In addition,a MATLAB code is developed for quantification of the probabilistic part by treating the uncertainties through separation of aleatory and epistemic sources of uncertainty.The probability for steam generator tube creep rupture is estimated at 0.17.     

Transient thermal hydraulic modeling and analysis of ITER divertor plate system

A mathematical model has been developed/updated to simulate the steady state and transient thermal-hydraulics of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) divertor module. The model predicts the thermal response of the armour coating, divertor plate structural materials and coolant channels. The selected heat transfer correlations cover all operating conditions of ITER under both normal and off-normal situations. The model also accounts for the melting, vaporization, and solidification of the armour material. The developed model is to provide a quick benchmark of the HEIGHTS multidimensional comprehensive simulation package. The present model divides the coolant channels into a specified axial regions and the divertor plate into a specified radial zones, then a two-dimensional heat conduction calculation is created to predict the temperature distribution for both steady and transient states. The model is benchmarked against experimental data performed at Sandia National Laboratory for both bare and swirl tape coolant channel mockups. The results show very good agreements with the data for steady and transient states. The model is then used to predict the thermal behavior of the ITER plasma facing and structural materials due to plasma instability event where 60 MJ/m² plasma energy is deposited over 500 ms. The results for ITER divertor response is analyzed and compared with HEIGHTS results.     

多群核数据不确定性对堆芯物理计算的影响

核数据不确定性是造成反应堆物理计算结果不确定性的重要因素之一。基于所需抽样核数据的协方差矩阵开发了随机抽样模块(Stochastic Sampling,SAMP),在此基础上利用SCALE(Standardized Computer Analyses for Licensing Evaluation)软件包实现了混合法和随机抽样法两种不确定性分析方法,以研究多群核数据不确定性对堆芯物理计算的影响。以3×3假想堆芯为对象,对两种方法进行了验证,然后应用于国际原子能机构(International Atomic Energy Agency,IAEA)燃料管理基准题中的Almaraz核电厂首循环堆芯。分析结果表明,两种方法结果符合良好,Almaraz核电厂堆芯keff不确定性约为0.5%,堆芯径向和轴向功率的最大不确定性分别为1.9%和0.45%。     

Design and analysis of a thermal hydraulic integral test facility for Bushehr nuclear power plant

In this paper, design and analysis of a thermal hydraulic integral test facility for Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is presented. The Bushehr Integral Test Facility (BITF) is a test facility designed to model the thermal-hydraulic behaviours of the Bushehr NPP (VVER-1000) pressurized water reactors currently in use in IRAN. These reactors have unique features that differ from other PWR designs. The BITF simulates the major components and systems of the reference NPP, making it possible to examine postulated small and medium break a loss of coolant accidents (LOCAs) and operational transients. The BITF is a volume-scaled model (1:1375). To ensure that gravitational forces remain equal to those in the reference reactor, the major components and systems in the BITF preserve 1:1 elevation equivalence to the reference reactor. The facility has four loops (each one consists of a hot leg, a steam generator, a loop seal, a main circulation pump and a cold leg), a pressurizer connected via two surge line to the hot leg of the loops 2, 4, the emergency-core-cooling system (ECCS) which is provided by an active pump simulating high and low pressure injection systems, and four hydro-accumulators. The report also contains a comparison between experimental data of PSB test facility and RELAP5 calculations of BITF facility under steady state condition of the reactor power 15% from the nominal.     

Design and analysis of a thermal core for a high performance light water reactor

The High Performance Light Water Reactor is a Generation IV light water reactor concept, operated at a supercritical pressure of 25 MPa with a core outlet temperature of 500 °C. A thermal core design for this reactor has been worked out by a consortium of Euratom member states within the 6th European Framework Program. Aiming at peak cladding temperatures of less than 630 °C, including uncertainties and allowances for operation, the coolant is heated up in three steps with intermediate coolant mixing to eliminate hot streaks. Different from conventional reactors, the radial power profile is intended to be non-uniform, with the highest power in the first heat-up step in the core center and the lowest power in the second superheater step to result in the same peak cladding temperatures in each region. The concept has been studied with neutronic, thermal-hydraulic and structural analyses to assess its feasibility. Coupled neutronic/thermal-hydraulic analyses are defining the initial distribution of enrichment, control rod positions and the use of burnable poisons. Sub-channel analyses predict the coolant mixing inside assemblies, and a porous media approach simulates the flow of moderator water between assembly boxes. Finally, structural analyses of the assembly boxes are needed to minimize deformations during operation. Even though the core design cannot yet considered to be final, this state of the art review shall summarize the progress achieved so far and outline the remaining challenges.     

Evaluating the core damage frequency of a TRIGA research reactor using risk assessment tool software

After all preventive and mitigative measures considered in the design of a nuclear reactor, the installation still represents a residual risk to the outside world. Probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) is a powerful method to survey the safety of nuclear reactors. In this study the occurrence frequency of different types of core damage states (CDS) which may potentially arise in Tehran Research Reactor (TRR) is evaluated by use of the recently developed risk assessment tool (RAT) software which has been designed and represented in the Safety Research Center of Shiraz University. RAT uses event trees and fault trees to evaluate the total final core damage frequency (CDF) through studying the frequencies of initiation events, and following their consequences has resulted in one type of the CDS. The criterion must be of the order of smaller than 1E−04 through IAEA standards for research reactors (IAEA-TECDOC-400, 1986). Results show that the total final CDF for TRR is of the order of 10⁻⁶, which meets the criterion of nuclear research reactor.     

Neutronic and thermal hydraulic analysis for production of fission molybdenum-99 at Pakistan Research Reactor-1

Neutronic and thermal hydraulic analysis for the fission molybdenum-99 production at PARR-1 has been performed. Low enriched uranium foil (<20% ²³⁵U) will be used as target material. Annular target designed by ANL (USA) will be irradiated in PARR-1 for the production of 100 Ci of molybdenum-99 at the end of irradiation, which will be sufficient to prepare required ⁹⁹Mo/^99mTc generators at PINSTECH and its supply in the country. Neutronic and thermal hydraulic analysis were performed using various codes. Data shows that annular targets can be safely irradiated in PARR-1 for production of required amount of fission molybdenum-99.     

Effect of steam environment on severe core damage behaviour for VVER-1000 with the ASTEC V1 code

Severe accident studies for very low frequency events for VVER-1000 (V320) are carried out to estimate in-vessel damage progression under steam-rich and starved conditions. The analyses with code ASTEC, jointly developed by IRSN (France) and GRS, Germany), have shown the influence of steam environment on core heat-up followed by material relocation, hydrogen production, vessel failure and aerosol generation along with release to containment. Hydro-accumulator injection for studied transients also gives rise to a steam-rich environment enhancing the material oxidation depending on the injection time and period. The generated information along with PSA-Level 2 is helpful to decide Plant Damage State (PDS) and fruitfully develop accident management strategies for the plant.