Development of an Advanced Startup Procedure for a PIUS-type Reactor

An advanced startup procedure for the PIUS-type reactor has been developed. The procedure is related to the way to isolate the primary loops from the borated reactor pool by establishing stable hot/cold water interfaces in the so-called density lock sections. The procedure starts with accumulating preheated water in the high points of the steam-generator-side legs. Then, by restarting the reactor coolant pumps, the primary loops can be isolated from the pool as the primary loops reaches a uniformly higher temperature than the pool water. The additional components required for this procedure are only a low-pressure grade heater and a pump of small capacities. Since the isolation is achieved with the density locks left open, the core shutdown and cooling capabilities by means of the natural circulation of borated water are maintained in case of any abnormal events during startup. The feasibility and the predictability of this procedure were investigated by running an experiment in a scaled single-loop facility and conducting an analysis using a one-dimensional model. Both in the experiment and in the analysis. the primary loop was successfully isolated from the pool.     

Boron dilution transients during natural circulation flow in PWR—Experiments and CFD simulations

Coolant mixing in the cold leg, downcomer and the lower plenum of pressurized water reactors is an important phenomenon mitigating the reactivity insertion into the core. Therefore, mixing of the de-borated slugs with the ambient coolant in the reactor pressure vessel was investigated at the four loops 1:5 scaled Rossendorf coolant mixing model (ROCOM) mixing test facility. In particular thermal hydraulics analyses have shown, that weakly borated condensate can accumulate in the pump loop seal of those loops, which do not receive a safety injection. After refilling of the primary circuit, natural circulation in the stagnant loops can re-establish simultaneously and the de-borated slugs are shifted towards the reactor pressure vessel (RPV).In the ROCOM experiments, the length of the flow ramp and the initial density difference between the slugs and the ambient coolant was varied. From the test matrix experiments with 0 resp. 2% density difference between the de-borated slugs and the ambient coolant were used to validate the CFD software ANSYS CFX. To model the effects of turbulence on the mean flow a higher order Reynolds stress turbulence model was employed and a mesh consisting of 6.4 million hybrid elements was utilized. Only the experiments and CFD calculations with modeled density differences show stratification in the downcomer. Depending on the degree of density differences the less dense slugs flow around the core barrel at the top of the downcomer. At the opposite side, the lower borated coolant is entrained by the colder safety injection water and transported to the core. The validation proves that ANSYS CFX is able to simulate appropriately the flow field and mixing effects of coolant with different densities.     

Transient flow analysis in reactor coolant pump systems during flow coastdown period

The rapid flow transient calculation in reactor coolant pump system is important in the safety analysis of a nuclear reactor. An accurate transient analysis of flow coastdown is also important and necessary for the design and manufacture of a reactor coolant pump. Only under the reliable work of a reactor coolant pump the safety of a nuclear power plant can be guaranteed. A mathematical model is developed for solving flow rate transient and pump speed transient during flow coastdown period. The detailed information of the centrifugal pump characteristics is not required. The flow rate and pump speed are solved analytically. The analytic solution of non-dimensional flow rate indicates that non-dimensional flow rate is determined by energy ratio β. The kinetic energy of the loop coolant fluid and the kinetic energy stored in the rotating parts are two important parameters in form of β. When the steady-state flow rate and pump speed are constant, the inertia of primary loop fluid and the pump moment of inertia are also two important parameters in flow transient analysis. For the condition all pump shafts are seized, the flow decay depends on the inertia of primary loop fluid. For the case that pump inertia is very large, the flow decay is determined by the pump inertia. The calculated non-dimensional flow rate and non-dimensional pump speed using the model are compared with published experimental data of two nuclear power plants and a reactor model test on flow coastdown transients. The comparison results show a good agreement. As the flow rate approaches to zero, the increase difference between experimental and calculated value is due to the effect of the mechanical friction loss.     

The Simulation Test to Start up the PIUS-Type Reactor from Isothermal Fluid Condition

A feedback control system of a primary pump is proposed for a PIUS-type reactor based on the temperature distribution in the lower density lock. This control system maintains the fluid temperature at the axial center of the lower density lock at the average of the fluid temperatures below and above the lower density lock in order to prevent the poison water from penetrating into the core during normal operation. This control system was examined in a series of startup tests under different conditions and the test results demonstrated the effectiveness of the control system to startup the reactor from a small initial temperature difference between primary system and poison water system.

The startup of a PIUS-type reactor from an isothermal condition, preventing the inflow of the poison water into the core, is the most difficult transient among normal operations. We installed a preheater system at the exit of the primary pump for the startup test from isothermal condition with the purpose of making a initial temperature difference between primary system and poison water pool. It was confirmed from the results of the tests that the preheater and the present pump feedback control system is quite effective to start up the reactor from an isothermal fluid condition.     

Numerical analysis and visualization experiment on behavior of borated water during MSLB with RCP running mode in an advanced reactor

The core bypass phenomenon of borated water injected through direct vessel injection (DVI) nozzles in APR1400 (Advanced Power Reactor 1400MWe) during main steam line break (MSLB) accidents with a reactor coolant pump (RCP) running mode has been simulated using a two-channel and one-dimensional system analysis model code (MARS), and a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code (FLUENT). A visualization experiment has also been performed using a scaled-down model of the APR1400. The MARS analysis has predicted a serious core bypass phenomenon of borated water, while the CFD analysis has shown results opposite to the MARS results. The CFD analysis has shown that the flow pattern in the downcomer is fully three-dimensional and that vortex flow structures are formed near the cold legs so that the borated water might pass without difficulty into the high flow region of the cold legs and flow well into the lower downcomer. The visualization experiment has shown that the borated water flows well to the lower plenum, as in the CFD analysis. Both the CFD analysis and visualization experiment have proved that a serious core bypass phenomenon of borated water might not happen in the APR1400. These results are quite different from those predicted by MARS.     

Two-phase flow in a full-scale loop seal facility

An experimental program has been carried out to study two-phase behaviour of a PWR cold leg loop seal during loss-of-coolant accidents. The experimental facility comprises a full-scale cold leg with a reactor coolant pump simulator. Three separate air/water test series were performed to determine the onset of slugging in the horizontal pipe, the residual water mass and the total two-phase pressure drop in the loop seal.The results of flow regime transition experiments have been compared with smaller-scale experiments and with theoretical predictions to evaluate scaling criteria. The strong hysteresis of transitions found between the stratified and slug flow regimes depends on the loop seal geometry and U-tube oscillations.     

Validation of the CFD code fluent by post-test calculation of a density-driven ROCOM experiment

During the last years, boron dilution events with the potential of reactivity transients were an important issue of German PWR safety analyses. A coolant with a low-boron concentration could be collected in localized areas of the reactor coolant system, e.g., by separation of a borated reactor coolant into highly concentrated and diluted fractions (inherent dilution) which can occur during reflux-condenser heat transfer after a small break loss of coolant accident with a limited availability of the emergency core cooling systems.During the course of follower core assessments, TÜV NORD SysTec appraises safety analyses of boron dilution events presented by the utilities. These analyses are based on the simulation of boron dilution and transport processes in conjunction with a number of dedicated experiments. The analyses demonstrate that boron dilution events cannot lead to recriticality of the core. Hence, the boron concentration at the core inlet has to be determined.TÜV NORD SysTec applies the CFD code FLUENT for the investigation of boron dilution events in pressurized water reactors. To affirm the FLUENT abilities for the simulation of boron dilution events, a validation against the ROCOM experiment T6655_21 with a density-driven coolant mixing was performed. This validation proves that FLUENT is able to appropriately simulate the effects of boron transport and dilution such as streaks of coolant with lower density in the downcomer. Deficits were identified in the simulation of fluid layering in the cold leg, which fortunately have a rather small influence on the predicted core inlet concentration. Therefore, the boron concentration in the reactor core can be determined with sufficient accuracy to solve the safety issue, regardless of the core becoming critical or not.     

PIUS - status and perspectives

Today's environmental concerns show that nuclear energy is an important option for meeting future increases in global energy demand. Significant nuclear expansion will probably require new reactor designs in which safety is ensured by simple, convincing means. PIUS represents such a reactor design. It is a re-configured 600 MWe PWR, in which the primary safety goal, protection of the reactor core integrity, is entrusted to built-in, self-protective, passive features, without reliance on any monitoring, detection or actuation system, nor operator action. Its basic design features a core that is openly connected, in a natural circulation loop, to a large pool of borated water. The pool is enclosed in a prestressed concrete pressure vessel provided with redundant leakage barriers. The reactor coolant pumps are operated in such a way that there is hydraulic balance in the openings between the primary coolant loop and the pool. Thereby, the hot, low boron content primary loop water is kept separated from the pool water, in spite of the always open natural circulation loop. In severe transients this balance is disturbed, and pool water ingress occurs, shutting down the reactor, or restricting the power to a safe level. The decay heat is transferred to the pool by the natural circulation loop, and a passive pool cooling system, utilizing natural circulation and natural draft cooling towers, prevents boiling of the pool water, even in a station blackout situation. Transient analyses have shown that this passive long-term RHR function will be available in all accident situations, even after double-ended cold leg breaks. Such breaks result in a temporary pressurization of the reactor containment, but the releases of radioactivity will be extremely small and the doses at the fence boundary very low. Cost estimates indicate that PIUS will be quite competitive, and evaluation studies are now under way in several countries.     

Experimental determination of the boron concentration distribution in the primary circuit of a PWR after a postulated cold leg small break loss-of-coolant-accident with cold leg safety injection

It is known that under-borated coolant can accumulate in the loops and that it can be transported towards the reactor core during a loss-of-coolant-accident. Therefore, the mixing of weakly borated water inside the reactor pressure vessel was investigated using the ROCOM test facility. Wire-mesh sensors based on electrical conductivity measurement are used to measure in detail the spreading of a tracer solution in the facility. The mixing in the downcomer was observed with a measuring grid of 64 azimuthal and 32 vertical positions. The resulting distribution of the boron concentration at the core inlet was measured with a sensor integrated into the lower core support plate providing one measurement position at the entry into each fuel assembly.

The boundary conditions for this mixing experiment are taken from an experiment at the thermal hydraulic test facility PKL operated by AREVA Germany. The slugs, which have a lower density, accumulate in the upper part of the downcomer after entering the vessel. The ECC water injected into the reactor pressure vessel falls almost straight down through this weakly borated water layer and accelerates as it drops over the height of the downcomer. On the outer sides of the ECC streak, lower borated coolant admixes and flows together with the ECC water downwards. This has been found to be the only mechanism of transporting the lower borated water into the lower plenum. In the core inlet plane, a reduced boron concentration is detected only in the outer reaches of the core inlet. The minimum instantaneous boron concentration that was measured at a single fuel element inlet was found to be 66.3% of the initial 2500 ppm.     

Experimental studies and CFD calculations for buoyancy driven mixing phenomena

In nuclear reactor safety the mixing of borated and deborated water is a critical issue that needs investigation, assessment and prediction. Such mixing is buoyancy driven and numerical codes must correctly model momentum transfer between fluids of different density. To assess and develop CFD models for buoyancy driven mixing we set up a simple vertical mixing test facility (VeMix) and equipped it with a newly developed planar electrical imaging sensor. This imaging sensor acquires conductivity images of the liquid at the rear channel wall with a speed of 2,500 frames/s. By adding NaCl tracer to the denser fluid we were able to visualize the mixing process in high spatial and temporal detail. Furthermore, an image processing algorithm based on the optical flow concept was implemented and tested which allows the measurement of flow pattern velocities. Selected experiments at different Richardson numbers were run with two components of different density (pure water and glucose-water mixture) simulating borated and deborated water in a light water reactor scenario. These experiments were compared to CFD calculations using standard turbulence models. Good agreement between experimental data and CFD simulations was found.     

Atmospheric-Pressure Small-Scale Thermal-Hydraulic Experiment of a PIUS-Type Reactor

An experimental small-scale low-pressure setup of a PIUS (Process Inherent Ultimate Safety)-type reactor was used for the examination of the stability during normal operation such as startup and load following operation and of the safety during accidents such as loss-of-feed- water and pump runaway. Automatic feedback pump control system based on differential pressure at lower honeycomb density lock was quite effective to maintain the stratified interface between primary and pool water in the honeycomb density lock during normal operation. The process inherent ultimate safety characteristics of the PlUS-type reactor was confirmed with pump-trip scram at the pump speed limit for the various simulated accidents such as a loss-of- feedwater and pump runaway.     

Non-dimensional analysis of the transient flow rate and the coolant temperature in a reactor coolant system under different pump failures

The mathematical models are developed to solve the non-dimensional transient flow rates in two loops and a reactor core under different power failures of reactor coolant pumps. Comparison of the experimental results of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant and the test results of the nuclear ship reactor in Japan under one pump power failure shows an excellent agreement. The non-dimensional flow rates are determined by the established non-dimensional parameters λ, ?, and α. Under the sequential power failure of two pumps, the non-dimensional flow rates are determined by the established λ, ?, α, and ΔT parameters. λ, ?, α, and ΔT are four important non-dimensional parameters in the prediction of flow transients. λ indicates the resistance coefficient ratio of the single loop to the reactor core, ? indicates the fluid inertia ratio of the reactor core to the single loop, α indicates the ratio of the initial kinetic energy of the single loop coolant fluid to the effective initial kinetic energy of the reactor coolant pump, and ΔT means the non-dimensional time interval of the sequential power failure of two pumps. The effects of λ, ?, α, and ΔT on the non-dimensional flow rates and the temperature change are investigated.     

反应堆压力容器下腔室交混特性的数值模拟方法研究

反应堆冷却剂系统蒸汽管道发生破口事故后,硼溶液在反应堆压力容器下腔室的对流交混特性对于反应堆安全分析及事故后缓解与抑制策略制定均有重要作用。本文基于实验结果分析了反应堆压力容器下腔室的交混特性及浓度扩散过程,采用数值模拟方法结合实验数据比较了几种主要模型计算结果的准确性与可靠性。分析结果表明,压力容器下腔室的交混特性呈现出外围扩散特征,温度梯度法与组分输运模型具备描述浓度梯度扩散过程的能力,但在细节分布上仍存在进一步改善与优化的空间。     

Long-term recovery of pressurized water reactors following a large break loss-of-coolant accident

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently identified a possible safety concern for pressurized water reactors. Following the reflood phase of a large break loss-of-coolant accident, long-term cooling of the reactor core may not be ensured. Specifically, the concern is that, for a pump discharge cold leg break, the loop seals in the reactor coolant pump suction piping will refill with liquid and the post-reflood steam production may depress the liquid levels in the downflow sides of the loop seals. A loop seal depression would cause a corresponding depression of the core liquid levels and possibly a fuel rod heatup in the upper core region. This paper is intended as an introduction of the safety issue that: (1) describes the important aspects of the problem, (2) provides an initial analysis of the consequences, and (3) discusses ongoing work in this area. Because the elevation of the loop seals is near the mid-core elevation in plants of Westinghouse design, the concern is greatest for those plants. There is less concern for most plants of Combustion Engineering design, and likely no concern for plants of Babcock and Wilcox design. This issue was addressed by employing both steady-state and transient systems analysis approaches. Two approaches were used because of uncertainties regarding actual reactor coolant system behavior during the post-reflood period. The steady-state approach involved the development and application of a simple computer program to investigate reactor coolant system behavior assuming quiescent post-reflood conditions. The transient systems approach involved investigating this behavior using the RELAP5/MOD2 computer code and a comprehensive RELAP5 model of a Westinghouse pressurized water reactor. The steady-state analysis indicated only a moderate fuel rod heatup is possible. The transient systems analysis indicated boiling and condensation-induced flow oscillations are sufficient to prevent fuel rod heatup. Analysis uncertainties are discussed.     

反应堆冷却剂系统流量测量试验研究与设计

华龙一号（HPR1000）设置了反应堆冷却剂泵进出口压差表用于测量反应堆冷却剂系统（RCS系统）环路流量,取消了二代改进型核电机组设置的弯管流量计。环路流量测量方式的改变直接影响RCS系统流量测量试验的实施。通过研究主泵的运行特性和系统的阻力特性,提出了基于主泵电功率测量RCS系统流量的试验方法。结合理论分析结果和工程实践经验,给出了反应堆冷却剂惰走流量试验的试验方法和验收准则。研究表明,主泵电功率法可以测量RCS系统的流量,反应堆冷却剂惰走流量可以通过主泵惰转过程的转速变化进行验证。      

AC600全压堆芯补水箱补水实验研究

全压堆芯冰箱（ＣＭＴ）是ＡＣ６００压水堆非能动高压安注系统的主要设备。全压堆芯补水箱补水实验主要研究中,小破口失水事故时ＣＭＴ的重力排放特性,为验证安全分析计算机程序试验数据,中国核动力研究院建造了ＣＭＴ补水实验装置,并在该装置上模拟反应堆主管道中,小破口失水事故动态工况,完成了ＣＭＴ补水实验,本文给出了小破口失水事故工况堆芯水箱补水试验结果与分析。,     

Simulation of mixing effects in a VVER-1000 reactor

This work has been performed in the framework of the OECD/NEA thermalhydraulic benchmark V1000CT-2. This benchmark is related to fluid mixing in the reactor vessel during a MSLB accident scenario in a VVER-1000 reactor. Coolant mixing in a VVER-1000 V320 reactor was investigated in plant experiments during the commissioning of the Unit 6 of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant. Non-uniform and asymmetric loop flow mixing in the reactor vessel has been observed in the event of symmetric main coolant pump operation. For certain flow conditions, the experimental evidence of an azimuthal shift of the main loop flows with respect to the cold leg axes (swirl) was found.Such asymmetric flow distribution was analyzed with the Trio_U code. Trio_U is a CFD code developed by the CEA Grenoble, aimed to supply an efficient computational tool to simulate transient thermalhydraulic turbulent flows encountered in nuclear systems. For the presented study, a LES approach was used to simulate turbulent mixing. Therefore, a very precise tetrahedral mesh with more than 10 million control volumes has been created.The Trio_U calculation has correctly reproduced the measured rotation of the flow when the CAD data of the constructed reactor pressure vessel where used. This is also true for the comparison of cold leg to assembly mixing coefficients. Using the design data, the calculated swirl was significantly underestimated. Due to this result, it might be possible to improve with CFD calculations the lower plenum flow mixing matrices which are usually used in system codes.     

压力容器环形下降段内含硼溶液流动混合特性的数值模拟分析

发生堆芯应急冷却安注时,外部注入的含硼冷却剂与稀释水团将在环形下降段内发生混合,含硼冷却剂与稀释水团混合不均匀可能导致堆芯重返临界。本文基于Fluent 18.0对环形下降段内的流动混合特性进行分析。横截面的速度分布显示,入口截面的水平方向速度随周向位置的增加而显著衰减,而环形下降段下部区域横截面的速度分布趋于平缓;三维流线图显示,流体进入压力容器后在环腔内壁发生剧烈碰撞,随后绕环形下降段呈放射状流动。通过自定义硼酸溶液,并模拟其与稀释水团之间混合,数值结果与相关的实验研究结果较为一致;三维浓度分布显示,雷诺数较低时入口硼酸溶液将停滞在环形下降段上部空间,增加入口雷诺数有利于搅混均匀。     

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.     

反应堆冷却剂泵惯量设计影响因素研究

主泵惯量设计应考虑主泵本身和回路特性的综合影响。本文建立了基于四象限特性的主泵惰转数值计算模型,评估主泵本身和回路特性对主泵惰转的影响。结果表明,转动惯量、摩擦损失等主泵因素,沿程阻力、局部阻力等回路因素均影响主泵惰转流量特性,但惰转转速下降主要与主泵本身因素相关,与回路因素关系不大。采用初始动能比ε表征主泵惯性和回路流体惯性的综合影响,流量下降相对转速下降的滞后程度与ε线性相关。对于ε较大的回路,应充分考虑惰转流量的滞后影响,避免主泵转动惯量设计采用过大的裕量,造成机组效率下降和设计难度提高。