DRAGON&DONJON程序在MSR中堆芯燃耗计算的适用性

DRAGONDONJON组件-堆芯"两步法"程序通过合理简化,理论可适用于任何堆芯与工况。使用蒙特卡罗方法 RMC(Reactor Monte Carlo code)、MCNP(Monte Carlo Neutron Particle transport code)程序验证DRADON程序是否能够承担快/热谱型熔盐堆(Molten Salt Reactor,MSR)焚烧TRU、Th U燃料燃耗计算。选出熔盐增殖堆(Molten Salt Breeder Reactor,MSBR)与熔盐锕系元素再循环和嬗变堆(Molten Salt Advanced Reactor Transmuter,MOSART)堆型进行比较,同时分别利用RMC程序验证DRAGON程序组件燃耗计算的准确性,利用MCNP程序验证DRAGON程序组件均匀化方法以及DONJON程序截面调用和程序全堆扩散的准确性。结果表明,组件燃耗计算中,TRU和Th U燃料满足燃耗计算要求;堆芯临界计算中,快/热谱堆芯计算误差均小于0.001。证明DRADON程序可以胜任快、热谱型MSR焚烧TRU、Th U燃料的物理计算任务。     

双区氯盐快堆的增殖及嬗变性能分析

基于熔盐嬗变堆(Molten Salt Actinide Recycler and Transmuter,简称MOSART)堆芯结构对氯盐快堆(Molten Chloride Salt Fast Reactor,简称MCFR)进行了优化,分析了熔盐成分和后处理方式的影响,使其燃耗性能得到明显的提升,但是相比熔盐快堆(Molten Salt Fast Reactor,简称MSFR)的增殖及嬗变性能仍有一定差距。基于在线连续添料与后处理方式,采用SCALE6.1程序和熔盐堆在线添料和后处理程序(Molten Salt Reactor Reprocessing Sequence,简称MSR-RS)分析了堆芯结构、~(37)Cl富集度对增殖比(Breeding Ratio,简称BR)、核素吸收率、燃耗等方面的影响,提出了双区氯盐快堆的设计,进一步提升了增殖嬗变性能和钍基燃料的利用率,倍增时间缩短到20年左右,超铀核素(Transuranics,简称TRU)嬗变率达到68%左右。     

熔盐增殖堆初步安全分析

熔盐堆是第四代核能论坛确定的6种先进四代堆型之一,在固有安全、燃料循环、小型化、核资源的有效利用和防止核扩散等方面有其特有的优点。美国橡树岭国家实验室基于熔盐实验堆(Molten Salt ReactorExperiment,MSRE)设计、建造和运行经验,完成了熔盐增殖堆(Molten Salt Breeder Reactor,MSBR)概念设计。本文对MSBR进行初步的安全分析,为进一步改进和优化熔盐堆安全特性提供参考。根据MSBR的概念设计,建立了一个采用耦合简化传热机制点动力学的安全分析模型,并通过MSRE实验数据进行了验证。应用该模型模拟计算了MSBR在阶跃反应性和线性反应性引入后的堆芯热功率、堆芯石墨和堆芯熔盐温度瞬态。结果表明:在引入不超过500 pcm反应性情况下,无需采取任何措施,不会出现温度过高、堆芯结构材料融化事故;若需采取控制措施,线性引入反应性比阶跃引入反应性更易于控制,且应尽量避免短时间内引入反应性。     

基于熔盐快堆的模型优化与Th-U增殖性能研究

作为四代堆6种候选堆型中唯一的液态燃料反应堆,熔盐堆对未来核能和钍资源利用具有重要意义,特别是熔盐快堆(Molten Salt Fast Reactor,MSFR)还具有较大的增殖比和较好的温度负反馈。由于启动新的熔盐快堆需要较高的燃料装载量,若能改善MSFR的增殖性能,则有利于提高233U产量并缩短燃料倍增时间。首先应用SCALE6.1针对MSFR的径向增殖盐、新增轴向增殖盐和新增石墨反射层这三方面分析了初始增殖比,同时从核素吸收率角度说明增殖比变化的原因和MSFR的设计不足并对其进行了优化;然后应用基于SCALE6.1开发的熔盐堆在线处理模块(Molten Salt Reactor Reprocessing Sequence,MSR-RS)进行燃耗分析。结果表明,新增轴向增殖盐可以进一步提高增殖性能;新增石墨反射层可以节省增殖盐装载量。改进后的堆型运行时增殖比可以维持在1.1以上,233U年产量提高至133 kg,倍增时间缩短至36 a,并且堆芯在整个运行寿期都能保持足够的温度负反馈。     

钍基液态燃料熔盐实验堆氙毒分析

熔盐堆作为第四代核能系统堆型之一,液态燃料形态的特点使其可以实现在线处理和在线添料。为了提高中子经济性可以利用在线处理的氦鼓泡法,将氦气通入反应堆一回路,去除堆芯内的裂变气体(如Xe、Kr)。基于钍基熔盐液态堆(Thorium Molten Salt Reactor-Liquid Fuel1,TMSR-LF1)概念设计,结合熔盐实验堆(Molten Salt Reactor Experiment,MSRE)氙毒模型,分析了鼓泡法去除氙毒中~(135)Xe扩散规律和去除效率对氙毒的影响,并给出了对应的初始有效增殖因子的变化规律。分析结果表明,虽然存在~(135)Xe会大量向石墨扩散的可能性,但是鼓泡法仍然可以有效去除TMSR-LF1堆芯内的~(135)Xe,减小堆芯毒性,提高反应性。     

核石墨的孔结构与熔盐浸渗特性研究

对于液态燃料熔盐堆而言,核石墨的浸渗问题非常重要,关系反应堆运行安全性。因此,对核石墨的熔盐浸渗的研究必不可少。核石墨是多孔材料,其孔结构决定了其浸渗特性。本研究主要针对中国科学院上海应用物理研究所的液态燃料熔盐堆项目——钍基熔盐堆核能系统(Thorium-based Molten Salt Reactor,TMSR)而开展。利用光学显微镜、压汞仪以及真密度仪研究分析了4种具有代表性的核石墨的孔结构,并利用高压反应釜研究了它们在不同压强下的熔盐(氟化盐,650°C)浸渗特性。结果表明,不同核石墨的孔结构具有明显差异;核石墨的熔盐浸渗与压汞浸渗相似;石墨的孔结构(如入孔孔径、开孔率等)决定了一定压强下石墨是否会发生熔盐浸渗以及浸渗量的多少。     

基于同步辐射原位拉伸XRD研究熔盐浸渗的核石墨IG-110微观结构演化

钍基熔盐堆(Thorium Molten Salt Reactor,TMSR)是第四代核反应堆的代表之一,其特点是以熔融氟盐作为冷却剂和燃料的载体。在熔盐堆中,熔盐容易浸渗到核石墨内部,引发核石墨局部高温,造成核石墨损伤程度增加,严重破坏核石墨的结构,从而影响核石墨材料的宏观性能和使用寿命。然而,熔盐浸渗对核石墨力学性能的微观机制以及熔盐浸渗引起的微结构损伤或破坏机制目前仍不清晰,因此有待进一步研究原位环境下(如力学加载、高温等)熔盐浸渗对核石墨微结构的影响,并揭示微结构演化的相关机制。本文基于同步辐射原位拉伸X射线衍射技术(Two Dimensional X-ray Diffraction,2D-XRD),开展了外部载荷为0 N、15 N、21 N、27 N和32 N时熔盐浸渗后的核石墨IG-110在拉伸断裂过程中的微观结构演化研究,以揭示外部载荷条件下的核石墨IG-110与熔盐之间的原位实时相互作用及材料断裂的微观机制。实验结果表明:在拉伸断裂过程中外部载荷使熔盐浸渗后的核石墨IG-110的结晶性变差、层间距变大,同时FLiNaK盐的结晶性也明显变差。这一发现将有助于解释熔盐浸渗后核石墨IG-110力学性能的变化,理解核石墨IG-110与FLiNaK熔盐间的相互作用机理,有利于高性能核石墨的制备和TMSR的安全可靠运行分析。     

核石墨与熔盐相容性测试装置设计与实验

钍基熔盐堆(Thorium Molten Salt Reactor,TMSR)是以核石墨为反射体及慢化体、2Li F-BeF_2(FLiBe)熔盐为主冷却剂的反应堆。在TMSR中,核石墨直接与熔盐接触。由于石墨的多孔特性,熔盐有可能渗入石墨的孔隙中,引发其力学、热学性能的变化。研究熔盐在TMSR环境下是否渗入候选核石墨及其浸渗量,对于反应堆的运行安全至关重要。基于自行研制的熔盐浸渗实验装置,采用静态熔盐浸渗试验方法,测试TMSR候选核石墨T220在不同压强下的熔盐浸渗量,并研究了温度、时间对T220、NBG-18及IG-110石墨材料熔盐浸渗行为的影响。研究结果表明:T220石墨的临界浸渗压强介于600~700 kPa之间,这说明在TMSR工况下(500 kPa)该石墨不发生FLiBe熔盐浸渗。温度(600℃和700℃)及时间(20~2 000 h)对三个牌号石墨熔盐浸渗行为影响不大。     

熔盐实验堆堆芯结构变化对反应性的影响分析

熔盐堆采用液态燃料,由于燃料的流动性,堆芯结构的变化会直接影响堆芯活性区的燃料盐装载量,从而影响堆芯物理特性参数。本文基于蒙特卡罗程序MCNP(Monte Carlo N Particle Transport Code),以2 MW液态燃料钍基熔盐堆(Thorium Molten Salt Reactor-Liquid Fuel,TMSR-LF1)设计模型为参考,系统研究了套管破裂、石墨构件移动、石墨破损、燃料盐浸渗度等因素对堆芯反应性的影响。结果表明:对于堆芯套管破裂,堆芯引入正反应性,破裂位置离堆芯中心越近,引入的反应性越大;对于石墨构件移动,随着扇形石墨构件向外移动,堆芯反应性增加;对于堆芯石墨破损,破损发生后,原燃料盐流道被石墨堵住时,则堆芯反应性减小;对于堆芯石墨破损,破损发生后,新燃料盐流道形成时,当石墨破损半径较小时,堆芯反应性会增加,当石墨破损半径较大时,堆芯反应性会减小。对于堆芯石墨发生燃料盐浸渗,堆芯反应性增加,且燃料盐渗入量越大,反应性变化越大。本研究为2 MW TMSR-LF1安全分析提供参考依据。     

新型重水慢化熔盐堆堆芯优化设计

采用液态燃料及重水慢化剂的重水慢化熔盐堆(Heavy Water moderated Molten Salt Reactor,HWMSR)具有高中子经济性,但堆芯出口温差较大,将会导致堆芯顶部管道构件热疲劳.本文旨在优化HWMSR堆芯设计,降低堆芯出口温差.采用中子学-热工耦合程序以及堆芯临界搜索程序,深入分析了具有不...     

犬骨型核石墨四点弯曲实验与模拟

核石墨是熔盐堆的关键材料之一,断裂性能是核石墨的重要属性之一。首先通过四点弯曲实验测量了犬骨型核石墨的断裂载荷,观察裂纹扩展路径再运用扩展有限单元法(Extended finite element method,XFEM)对这一实验过程进行了模拟。模拟得到的裂纹扩展路径和断裂实验结果有很好的一致性,证明利用XFEM可以准确地模拟核石墨的断裂过程。同时确定了适用于核石墨的断裂准则。     

The development of a stress analysis code for nuclear graphite components in gas-cooled reactors

Most of the UK nuclear power reactors are gas-cooled and graphite moderated. As well as acting as a moderator the graphite also acts as a structural component providing channels for the coolant gas and control rods. For this reason the structural integrity assessments of nuclear graphite components is an essential element of reactor design. In order to perform graphite component stress analysis, the definition of the constitutive equation relating stress and strain for irradiated graphite is required. Apart from the usual elastic and thermal strains, irradiated graphite components are subject to additional strains due to fast neutron irradiation and radiolytic oxidation. In this paper a material model for nuclear graphite is presented along with an example of a stress analysis of a nuclear graphite moderator brick subject to both fast neutron irradiation and radiolytic oxidation.     

The various creep models for irradiation behavior of nuclear graphite

Graphite is a widely used material in nuclear reactors, especially in high temperature gascooled reactors (HTRs), in which it plays three main roles: moderator, reflector and structure material. Irradiation-induced creep has a significant impact on the behavior of nuclear graphite as graphite is used in high temperature and neutron irradiation environments. Thus the creep coefficient becomes a key factor in stress analysis and lifetime prediction of nuclear graphite. Numerous creep models have been established, including the visco-elastic model, UK model, and Kennedy model. A Fortran code based on user subroutines of MSC.MARC was developed in INET in order to perform three-dimensional finite element analysis of irradiation behavior of the graphite components for HTRs in 2008, and the creep model used is for the visco-elastic model only. Recently the code has been updated and can be applied to two other models—the UK model and the Kennedy model. In the present study, all three models were used for calculations in the temperature range of 280–450 °C and the results are contrasted. The associated constitutive law for the simulation of irradiated graphite covering properties, dimensional changes, and creep is also briefly reviewed in this paper. It is shown that the trends of stresses and life prediction of the three models are the same, but in most cases the Kennedy model gives the most conservative results while the UK model gives the least conservative results. Additionally, the influence of the creep strain ratio is limited, while the absence of primary creep strain leads to a great increase of failure probability.     

Fracture mechanics issues for irradiated blanket structures

This paper reviews some of the factors that will affect fracture behavior of fusion reactor structures and summarizes some component life predictions based on linear elastic fracture mechanics analysis. The review includes discussion of the environments to which the components will be subjected, the response of materials to these environments, the time dependent nature of the structural response, and the fracture related failure mechanisms.Radiation environments and complex loading conditions in a fusion reactor cause a variety of material phenomena. These phenomena include irradiation swelling and creep, strength changes due to matrix hardening, helium embrittlement, and surface effects such as sputtering and blistering.The interaction of thermal creep, irradiation creep, and swelling results in complex time, temperature, and neutron fluence dependent stress histories in first wall and blanket structures. These effects reduce compressive thermal stresses during the burn portion of a reactor operating cycle and result in residual tensile stress during the non-burn portion of the cycle. The cyclic nature of these stresses, particularly in a tokamak reactor, and the presence of undetected flaws provide a basis for the application of fracture mechanics. Linear elastic fracture mechanics analysis techniques have been applied to predict component life for several conceptual tokamak fusion reactor designs. These analyses show that the structural life may be limited by growth of initial flaws to a coolant leakage. Results indicate that for neutron wall loadings below 2 to 3 Mw/m², life is likely to be controlled by stresses during the burn period and, at higher wall loadings, by residual stresses during the non-burn period.Fracture toughness properties tend to be reduced by irradiation. Therefore, brittle fracture will be a potentially critical failure mode. Fatigue crack growth and fracture characteristics of the design will affect the operating mode of a reactor and influence the performance of different types of reactors. Tests are currently planned to develop material crack growth and fracture toughness data [1] for candidate alloys because these properties have been shown to be important.     

高温气冷堆石墨构件断裂性能数值研究

为探究球床模块式高温气冷堆（HTR-PM）石墨堆内构件抗断裂破坏特性,提供石墨堆内构件设计和完整性评估的依据,利用经实验验证的基于内聚力模型的扩展有限元方法（XFEM）对球床模块式高温气冷堆侧反射层石墨砖的燕尾键 键槽结构进行了断裂性能的模拟分析,并对石墨断裂参数及几何尺寸等参数进行了敏感性分析。模拟结果显示：该石墨砖燕尾键 键槽结构的最大失效载荷P_max为50.7 kN,且随圆角半径而增大;P_max对石墨材料抗拉强度敏感,圆角越大越敏感,对材料断裂功、杨氏模量敏感度较小,但随着结构圆角变小变得相对更敏感,对泊松比几乎不敏感。分析结果与文献预测及实验结论具有较好的一致性。本文研究能对其他类型反应堆（如熔盐堆和快堆）的石墨构件断裂性能分析评价提供参考。     

Relationship between nuclear graphite moderator brick bore profile measurement and irradiation-induced dimensional change

A stress analysis for a hypothetical nuclear graphite moderator brick is presented, considering dimensional and other property changes due to fast neutron irradiation, to illustrate the relationship between the change in moderator brick bore profile and dimensional change of the material. The results give the stresses and deformations of the brick during operation and at shutdown, with the effect of irradiation creep on the deformation of the brick also considered. The analyses provide information useful to reactor designers and operators for planning graphite monitoring campaigns.     

IG-11石墨材料断裂韧性数值模拟研究

通过使用基于内聚力模型（CZM）的扩展有限元方法（XFEM）对单边切口梁的三点弯曲试验进行数值模拟来研究核级石墨IG-11断裂韧性的尺寸效应,试验和分析中考虑了试样整体尺寸和厚度变化,并对数值分析中的材料断裂参数进行了敏感性研究。模拟所得断裂韧性范围为0.90～1.10 MPa•m^1/2,这与试验所测得的0.82～1.27 MPa•m^1/2接近。模拟结果表明,材料断裂功对数值分析的影响较小,而材料断裂时的抗拉强度对数值分析的影响较大;另外,核石墨的断裂韧性（K_IC）存在明显的尺寸效应,随模拟试样整体尺寸的增大,断裂韧性增大,最终趋于一定值。这与现有文献中的尺寸效应模型所得到的预测值以及试验结果吻合得较好。但试样厚度则对K_IC的变化无明显影响。     

A Numerical Study of Cracks Appearance on Tungsten Surface After High Intense Pulsed Ion Beam Irradiation

Due to the outstanding physical properties, Tungsten has been proposed for use in the divertor of future fusion devices. However, tungsten shall face strong particle bombardment from the plasma, which causes severe damage to the material. The purpose of this work is to build such an accurate analytical model which can predict the damages in target material like crack production and propagation after high intense pulsed ion beam irradiation. Hence, a two-dimensional finite element method is used to study the effect of high intense pulsed ion beam on tungsten surface numerically. To judge temperature and stress distribution in material, thermal conduction model is combined with non-linear fracture mechanics model and J-Integral parameter is used as a criterion to judge the crack propagation. Simulation results reveal that different crack heights and sizes can affect the results and there is a critical depth for crack propagation. The model gives good results to real experimental observations and has potential applications for different intense pulsed electron/plasma beams and different target materials as well.     

Analyses of a restrained growth graphite irradiation creep experiment

Graphite is used as a moderator, reflector and structural component in pebble bed and prism High Temperature Reactors (HTRs). It is fortunate to reactor designers that irradiated graphite shows remarkably high creep behaviour under the influence of fast neutron irradiation at temperatures far below those required for significant creep strains to be generated in unirradiated graphite. This creep behaviour is important in the design of nuclear graphite reactor cores because the self-induced shrinkage stresses generated in typical core components during irradiation can be relieved. However, there are no reliable data on high fluence irradiation creep and the mechanistic understanding of the irradiation creep is insufficiently developed to reliably extrapolate to the high fluences expected of graphite in future HTR designs. The understanding of irradiation creep is further complicated because it has been experimentally observed that irradiation creep strain in graphite modifies other properties in particular the coefficient of thermal expansion. In addition modified changes in Young's modulus in crept specimens have been reported and it has also been postulated that irradiation creep may also modify dimensional change. The assessment of irradiation creep in graphite components is based on empirical laws derived from data obtained from small samples irradiated in a materials test reactor. However, due to the complicated irradiation rigs required and the amount of dimensional and property measurements needed to be taken, constant stress irradiation creep experiments are difficult and very expensive to carry out successfully. However, restrained creep experiments are simple to implement, less expensive and can be easily included as part of other, more conventional irradiation graphite experimental programmes. However, in the past, the disadvantage of these experiments has been that the results have been difficult to interpret using the then available analytical methods. In this paper the restrained creep experiment is revisited and analysed numerically and the possible benefit of using a restrained creep experiment in future graphite irradiation experiments is investigated. It is shown that a numerical simulation of the restrained creep experiment behaviour would be an essential tool to ensure that the stress within the specimen remains within defined limits so that specimen failure can be avoided.     

Reactor pressure vessel structural integrity research

Development continues on the technology used to assess the safety of irradiation embrittled nuclear reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) containing flaws. Fracture mechanics tests on RPV steel, coupled with detailed elastic-plastic finite element analyses of the crack-tip stress fields, have shown that (1) constraint relaxation at the crack-tip of shallow surface flaws results in increased data scatter but no increase in the lower-bound fracture toughness, (2) the nil-ductility temperature (NDT) performs better than the reference temperature for nil-ductility transition (RT_NDT) as a normalizing parameter for shallow flaw fracture toughness data, (3) biaxial loading can reduce the shallow flaw fracture toughness, (4) stress based dual-parameter fracture toughness correlations cannot predict the effect of biaxial loading on shallow flaw fracture toughness because in-plane stresses at the crack-tip are not influenced by biaxial loading, and (5) an implicit strain based dual-parameter fracture toughness correlation can predict the effect of biaxial loading on shallow flaw fracture toughness. Experimental irradiation investigations have shown that (1) the irradiation induced shift in Charpy V-notch vs. temperature behavior may not be adequate to conservatively assess fracture toughness shifts due to embrittlement, and (2) the wide global variations of initial chemistry and fracture properties of a nominally uniform material within a pressure vessel may confound accurate integrity assessments that require baseline properties.