Study on local hydrogen behaviors in a subcompartment of the NPP containment

Hydrogen control in the case of severe accidents has been required by nuclear regulations to ensure the integrity of containment after TMI accidents. Up to now, many experiments have been conducted to estimate the distribution of hydrogen during accidents in nuclear power plants. In this article, we proposed a computer code named HYCA3D developed to calculate the local hydrogen distribution with three-dimensional time-dependent governing equations, which can simulate the transport of multiple species. Also, local hydrogen behavior has been experimentally investigated in a cylindrical multi-subcompartment mixing chamber, measuring the local concentration in various conditions. Hydrogen is simulated by helium in the experiments. The proposed code was verified with these experimental results, followed by pre-tests with EPRI/HEDL standard problems. The calculation results show good agreement with the experimental data.     

Improvement of HYCA3D code and experimental verification in rectangular geometry

Concerns about the local hydrogen behavior in a nuclear power plant (NPP) containment during severe accidents have increased with the 10CFR50.34(f) regulation after TMI accident. Consequently, investigations on the local hydrogen behaviors under severe accident conditions were required. An analytical model named HYCA3D was developed at Seoul National University (SNU) to predict the thermodynamics and the three dimensional behavior of a hydrogen/steam mixture, within a subdivided containment volume following hydrogen generation during a severe accident in NPPs. In this study, the HYCA3D code was improved with a steam condensation and spray model, and verified with hydrogen mixing experiments executed in a SNU rectangular mixing facility. Helium was used to simulate hydrogen in both the calculations and the experiments. The calculation results show good agreement with the experimental data.     

Laser Rayleigh measurement of mixing processes and control of hydrogen combustion using quenching meshes

Two issues concerning hydrogen combustion under a severe accident scenario are addressed: (1) a laser Rayleigh scattering technique to investigate hydrogen mixing processes; and (2) the installation of metallic meshes between compartments to control and isolate hydrogen combustion within a single compartment. The Rayleigh scattering techniques are tested to determine hydrogen/air mixing processes locally and temporally as a non-intrusive probing method. To simulate mixing processes, helium is injected into a chamber filled with n-butane. Results show that helium concentration can be successfully monitored with sufficiently fast responses. Isolation and control of hydrogen burning is simulated by installing metallic meshes between compartments. Hydrogen is injected into one compartment and subsequently transported to the second compartment. Two sets of experiments are conducted with and without installing metallic meshes between the compartments. With the mixture ignited near the second compartment outlet, hydrogen combustion can be successfully contained within the second compartment with meshes, while flame propagates to the first compartment when meshes are not installed. These results demonstrate that hydrogen combustion can be controlled and isolated by installing meshes locally such that unwanted rapid pressure rise in a containment can be prevented. It also suggests the applicability of meshes for equipment survivability and protection from flame propagation by enclosing equipments with properly designed meshes.     

Positron simulations of defects in tungsten containing hydrogen and helium

An understanding of the behavior of defects containing hydrogen or helium in tungsten is an important issue. Here the properties of defects in tungsten containing hydrogen or helium atoms have been investigated by model positron lifetime quantum-mechanical simulations. The electron and positron wave functions have been obtained in the local density approximation to the two-component density-functional theory. The calculated values of the positron lifetime correlate with the magnitude of the electron density. The vacancy-clusters without hydrogen or helium are active positron traps. The lattice relaxation of atoms around vacancy reduces the effective vacancy volume and decrease the positron lifetime at a vacancy. The hydrogen and helium atoms are trapped in tungsten by lattice vacancies and nano-voids. It was established that positron lifetime depends on the density of gas atoms inside the nano-void. Hydrogen and helium presence in the larger nano-voids considerably decrease the positron lifetime.     

国产先进压水堆严重事故下氢气行为及控制系统分析

严重事故下的氢气控制是核电厂安全需要考虑的重要问题之一。采用一体化严重事故分析程序对国产先进压水堆核电厂进行系统建模,选取大破口触发的严重事故序列,对严重事故工况下的氢气产生情况及氢气控制系统的性能进行分析评价。结果表明:大破口事故序列下氢气的产生主要有两个阶段,分别是早期锆包壳与水反应产生氢气及堆芯熔融物迁移至下腔室产生氢气,其中燃料包壳的氧化是产氢的主要阶段,氢气释放时间较早,氢气产生速率较大。氢气控制系统的设计能够有效缓解可能的氢气风险,满足相关法规标准的安全要求,确保安全壳的完整性。     

Simulating the mixing of helium and air by mixing salt water and fresh water in a scaled enclosure

We are attempting to establish scaling laws to simulate the mixing of helium (a simulant for hydrogen) with air in a large-scale enclosure by mixing salt water and fresh water, in a small-scale enclosure. This will allow us to assess the mixing of gases in a nuclear reactor containment using relatively small-scale liquid-mixing experiments. The scope of our current work does not cover the integrated effects of different mechanisms of gas mixing expected to prevail during postulated LOCA (loss-of-coolant accident) scenarios. The work is limited to mixing caused by jet inertia and buoyancy forces. Within this scope, we have identified the dominant scaling laws, and tested them by conducting gas-mixing experiments in a large-scale enclosure and liquid-mixing experiments in a small-scale enclosure. The experimental results demonstrate the validity of the scaling laws.     

Hydrogen and steam distribution following a small-break LOCA in large dry containment

The hydrogen deflagration is one of the major risk contributors to threaten the integrity of the containment in a nuclear power plant, and hydrogen control in the case of severe accidents is required by nuclear regulations. Based on the large dry containment model developed with the integral severe-accident analysis tool, a small-break loss-of-coolant-accident （LOCA） without HPI, LPI, AFW and containment sprays, leading to the core degradation and large hydrogen generation, is calculated. Hydrogen and steam distribution in containment compartments is investigated. The analysis results show that significant hydrogen deflagration risk exits in the reactor coolant pump （RCP） compartment and the cavity during the early period, if no actions are taken to mitigate the effects of hydrogen accumulation.     

Critical helium fluence for hydrogen trapping in pre-damaged stainless steel

Hydrogen depth profiles have been measured for stainless steel pre-implanted with 10 keV helium ions. An abrupt change in hydrogen retention has been observed in the helium fluence region between 2 × 10¹⁷ and 3 × 10¹⁷cm⁻². A marked difference in decay of hydrogen retention has also been found in the same region of helium fluence. The existence of helium critical fluence has been confirmed in the effect of helium pre-implantation to the hydrogen retention.     

基于CFD的安全壳局部隔间非能动氢气复合器布置方案研究

非能动氢气复合器用于压水堆核电厂严重事故条件下安全壳内氢气的消除。通过计算流体力学(CFD)方法能够给出事故条件下非能动氢气复合器周围三维流场和温度场的分布。基于CFD程序根据非能动氢气复合器消氢公式,计算非能动氢气复合器进出口的气体流量和气体组分,并作为非能动氢气复合器的边界条件,开展三维空间内非能动氢气复合器消氢速率和氢气分布情况研究。结果表明：简化的非能动氢气复合器模拟方案能很好地模拟非能动氢气复合器样机的消氢效果;对安全壳内局部隔间开展非能动氢气复合器消氢效果研究发现,在相同环境条件下,非能动氢气复合器布置在较高位置与布置在较低位置相比,布置在较高位置时,非能动氢气复合器具有更高的消氢速率,隔间整体氢气浓度较低,但是非能动氢气复合器布置在较高位置时出现隔间底部局部氢气聚集的情况。     

Hydrogen trapping in molybdenum in the presence of radiation damage

Hydrogen was implanted in samples of single crystal molybdenum, many of which had been previously damaged by ⁴He at 18 or 150 keV. The hydrogen implantations were at low energies, usually at 10 keV. Depth profiles (up to 200 nm) of the trapped hydrogen were obtained using the nuclear reaction ¹H)(¹⁹F, αγ)¹⁶O. A comparison of the trapping efficiency per dpa for both high and low helium concentrations, realized by the 18 and the 150 keV ⁴He implant, respectively, indicates that the presence of the implanted helium contributes to the trapping of hydrogen, possibly through the inhibition of damage annealing.     

Analysis on hydrogen risk mitigation in severe accidents for Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor

Hydrogen source term and hydrogen mitigation under severe accidents is evaluated for most nuclear power plants (NPPs) after Fukushima Daiichi accident. Two units of Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) are under operating in China, and hydrogen risk control should be evaluated in detail for the existing design. The distinguish feature of PHWR, compared with PWR, is the horizontal reactor core surrounded by moderator in calandria vessel (CV), which may influence the hydrogen source term. Based on integral system analysis code of PHWR, the plant model including primary heat transfer system (PHTS), calandria, end shield system, reactor cavity and containment has been developed. Two severe accident sequences have been selected to study hydrogen generation characteristic and the effectiveness of hydrogen mitigation with igniters. The one is Station Blackout (SBO) which represents high-pressure core melt accident, and the other is Large Break Loss of Coolant Accident (LLOCA) at reactor outlet header (ROH) which represents low-pressure core melt accident. Results show that under severe accident sequences, core oxidation of zirconium–steam reaction will produce hydrogen with deterioration of core cooling and the water in CV and reactor cavity can inhibits hydrogen generation for a relatively long time. However, as the water dries out, creep failure happens on CV. As a result, molten core falls into cavity and molten core concrete interaction (MCCI) occurs, releasing a large mass of hydrogen. When hydrogen igniters fail, volume fraction of hydrogen in the containment is more than 15% while equivalent amount of hydrogen generate from a 100% fuel clad-coolant reaction. As a result, hydrogen risk lies in the deflagration–detonation transition area. When igniters start at the beginning of large hydrogen generation, hydrogen mixtures ignite at low concentration in the compartments and the combustion mode locates at the edge of flammable area. However, the power supply to igniters should be ensured.     

Analysis of steam and hydrogen distributions with PAR mitigation in NPP containments

The 3-D-field code, GASFLOW is a joint development of Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe and Los Alamos National Laboratory for the simulation of steam/hydrogen distribution and combustion in complex nuclear reactor containment geometries. GASFLOW gives a solution of the compressible 3-D Navier–Stokes equations and has been validated by analysing experiments that simulate the relevant aspects and integral sequences of such accidents. The 3-D GASFLOW simulations cover significant problem times and define a new state-of-the art in containment simulations that goes beyond the current simulation technique with lumped-parameter models. The newly released and validated version, GASFLOW 2.1 has been applied in mechanistic 3-D analyzes of steam/hydrogen distributions under severe accident conditions with mitigation involving a large number of catalytic recombiners at various locations in two types of PWR containments of German design. This contribution describes the developed 3-D containment models, the applied concept of recombiner positioning, and it discusses the calculated results in relation to the applied source term, which was the same in both containments. The investigated scenario was a hypothetical core melt accident beyond the design limit from a large-break loss of coolant accident (LOCA) at a low release location for steam and hydrogen from a rupture of the surge line to the pressurizer (surge-line LOCA). It covers the in-vessel phase only with 7000 s problem time. The contribution identifies the principal mechanisms that determine the hydrogen mixing in these two containments, and it shows generic differences to similar simulations performed with lumped-parameter codes that represent the containment by control volumes interconnected through 1-D flow paths. The analyzed mitigation concept with catalytic recombiners of the Siemens and NIS type is an effective measure to prevent the formation of burnable mixtures during the ongoing slow deinertization process after the hydrogen release and has recently been applied in backfitting the operational German Konvoi-type PWR plants with passive autocatalytic recombiners (PAR).     

H、He离子辐照对国产ZIRLO合金氧化膜的影响

针对国产ZIRLO合金开展了H、He离子辐照对其腐蚀性能影响的研究。对国产ZIRLO合金样品分别进行高温（300 ℃）H、He离子辐照试验,辐照峰值剂量为1 dpa,之后进行模拟一回路腐蚀试验。通过腐蚀增重方法得到腐蚀动力学曲线。利用慢正电子湮没多普勒展宽谱对未辐照样品和辐照样品进行微观结构表征,用透射电子显微镜对腐蚀125 d的样品进行微观结构表征。结果表明,H、He离子辐照并未改变ZIRLO合金的腐蚀机理。He离子辐照产生的空位团可促进腐蚀过程中裂纹形核,增加了氧扩散通道,减少氧扩散激活能,导致腐蚀初期有明显的加速效应。H离子辐照对腐蚀的加速现象不如He离子辐照明显,原因是H离子辐照产生H-空位复合缺陷对氧扩散激活能减少作用较小。     

Flame-quenching model of the quenching mesh for H2–air mixtures

A deflagration to detonation transition (DDT) occurrence is one of the most important issues concerning safety during severe accidents in nuclear power plants because it can damage the integrity of the containment. It is possible to arrest the acceleration of a flame which can cause DDT by installing quenching meshes between the compartments. To evaluate the applicability of a quenching mesh to nuclear power plants, it requires a means to evaluate a flame arrest of a quenching mesh under a given combustion condition. The flame-quenching models developed by previous researchers were derived to fit the experimental geometry and to consider various thermal boundary conditions from a flame to the mesh wall. Flame-quenching tests were carried out at the 10% hydrogen concentration in a dry air by changing atmospheric pressure to 2.2 bar as the initial pressure. The quenching criterion of a quenching mesh with a 0.3 mm gap distance for hydrogen–air mixtures is established by using the experimental data. The flame-quenching models are also evaluated by using the experimental data. A flame-quenching model that can be used to evaluate a flame arrest for various hydrogen–air mixtures in nuclear power plants is proposed.     

PIV measurements of turbulent jet and pool mixing produced by a steam jet discharge in a subcooled water pool

This experimental research is on the fluid-dynamic features produced by a steam injection into a subcooled water pool. The relevant phenomena could often be encountered in water cooled nuclear power plants. Two major topics, a turbulent jet and the internal circulation produced by a steam injection, were investigated separately using a particle image velocimetry (PIV) as a non-intrusive optical measurement technique. Physical domains of both experiments have a two-dimensional axi-symmetric geometry of which the boundary and initial conditions can be readily and well defined. The turbulent jet experiments with the upward discharging configuration provide the parametric values for quantitatively describing a turbulent jet such as the self-similar velocity profile, central velocity decay, spreading rate, etc. And in the internal circulation experiments with the downward discharging configuration, typical flow patterns in a whole pool region are measured in detail, which reveals both the local and macroscopic characteristics of the mixing behavior in a pool. This quantitative data on the condensing jet-induced mixing behavior in a pool could be utilized as benchmarking for a CFD simulation of relevant phenomena.     

Thermal mixing characteristics of helium gas in high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, (I) thermal mixing behavior of helium gas in HTTR

The future high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) is now designed in Japan Atomic Energy Agency. The reactor has many merging points of helium gas with different temperatures. It is needed to clear the thermal mixing characteristics of helium gas at the pipe in the HTGR from the viewpoint of structure integrity and temperature control. Previously, the reactor inlet coolant temperature was controlled lower than specific one in the high-temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR) due to lack of mixing of helium gas in the primary cooling system. Now, the control system is improved to use the calculated bulk temperature of reactor inlet helium gas. In this paper, thermal–hydraulic analysis on the primary cooling system of the HTTR was conducted to clarify the thermal mixing behavior of helium gas. As a result, it was confirmed that the thermal mixing behavior is mainly affected by the aspect ratio of annular flow path, and it is needed to consider the mixing characteristics of helium gas at the piping design of the HTGR.     

Estimation of the Tritium Behavior in the Pebble Type Gas Cooled Reactor for Hydrogen Production

In Korea, a nuclear hydrogen program has been established to develop and demonstrate mass production system for hydrogen generation. The objective of this study is to establish the evaluation procedure for predicting the tritium behavior in the 300 MWth Pebble type gas cooled reactor which is the one of the candidate reactors for nuclear hydrogen development and demonstration plant. The tritium generated by the fission reaction can be leaked to the helium coolant from the coated ceramic particles and fuel elements. The annual total release rate of the tritium is estimated as 0.47% from the fuel kernel to the helium coolant by the numerical method. Tritium attributed by ⁶Li existing as impurities in the reflector can be released to the helium coolant by the diffusion process and the total annual release rate of the tritium is estimated as 5.3% through the reflector to the helium coolant. Based on the Siverts' law, tritium permeation from the primary coolant to the hydrogen production system is also evaluated and the result is calculated as 76?0.23 Bq/g-H₂ with respect to the PRF (Permeation Reduction Factor= 10?1000) in case of the normal operation of the 300 MWth Pebble type reactor.     

Improvements in a CFD code for analysis of hydrogen behaviour within containments

The use of CFD codes for the analysis of the hydrogen behaviour within NPP containments during severe accidents has been increasing during last years. In this paper, the adaptation of a commercial multi-purpose code to this kind of problem is explained, i.e. by the implementation of models for several transport and physical phenomena like: steam condensation onto walls in presence of non-condensable gases, heat conduction, fog and rain formation, material properties and criteria for assessing the hydrogen combustion regime expected. The code has been validated against several experiments in order to verify its capacity to simulate the following phenomena: plumes, mixing, stratification and condensation. Moreover, two tests in an integral large enough experimental facility have been simulated, showing that the well-mixed and stratified conditions of the test were reproduced by the code. Finally, an example of a plant application demonstrates the ability of the code in this kind of problems.     

Basic ideas of a philosophy to protect nuclear plants against shock waves related to chemical reactions

There is an increasing trend to build nuclear plants, especially nuclear power plants, within the vicinity of industry (particularly chemical plants), transport ways (streets, railroads, river) and cities. This is linked to the danger for the population in this region due to an accident in connection with explosive material. Such accidents can influence the safety of the nuclear power plant, too. To avoid risks, even in cases in which such risks are not evident at the moment, appropriate safeguarding provisions have to be taken. With respect to future developments, on one side this can be done by designing the installations to withstand the loading which is caused by explosions, on the other side this can be done by defining exclusion regions around nuclear power plants within which no storage of explosive materials or transportation that is connected with high risk is allowed.The gaseous hydrocarbons (under normal conditions) - stored in a fluid state by means of pressure or deep cooling - are considered as being particularly dangerous. By theoretical considerations a load-function has been derived to describe the effect of an imaginable accident. This pressure-time diagram was deduced from the assumption that an explosion of a gas cloud would occur only in the form of a deflagration. In the case of saturated hydrocarbons this assumption is correct with a high degree of probability. On the other side, it is possible to get higher loadings after accidents in connection with unsaturated hydrocarbons. Owing to the present lack of knowledge, it is very difficult, or nearly impossible, to evaluate a pressure-time diagram for this case.A conservative and therefore safe assessment is possible if the detonation as thinkable form of an explosion is taken into account. The possibility of this form of reaction has been shown in experiments, though there have been idealized conditions, as homogeneous stoichiometric mixture in spherical shells and detonative ignition. Quasi-static pressures up to 20 bar have been measured in these experiments. It seems unrealistic to design buildings of nuclear power plants to withstand such loadings. Therefore, distances from the nuclear power plant have been calculated, in which a detonation may occur without generating a higher loading than that evaluated for the deflagration of a gas cloud. The assumptions and models to evaluate the pressure-time function in the case of deflagration and the safety distances in the case of detonation will be discussed.     

Assessment of the GOTHIC code for prediction of hydrogen flame propagation in small scale experiments

With the rising concerns regarding the time and space dependent hydrogen behavior in severe accidents, the calculation for local hydrogen combustion in compartment has been attempted using CFD codes like GOTHIC. In particular, the space resolved hydrogen combustion analysis is essential to address certain safety issues such as the safety components survivability, and to determine proper positions for hydrogen control devices as e.q. recombiners or igniters. In the GOTHIC 6.1b code, there are many advanced features associated with the hydrogen burn models to enhance its calculation capability.In this study, we performed premixed hydrogen/air combustion experiments with an upright, rectangular shaped, combustion chamber of dimensions 1 m × 0.024 m × 1 m. The GOTHIC 6.1b code was used to simulate the hydrogen/air combustion experiments, and its prediction capability was assessed by comparing the experimental with multidimensional calculational results. Especially, the prediction capability of the GOTHIC 6.1b code for local hydrogen flame propagation phenomena was examined. For some cases, comparisons are also presented for lumped modeling of hydrogen combustion. By evaluating the effect of parametric simulations, we present some instructions for local hydrogen combustion analysis using the GOTHIC 6.1b code. From the analyses results, it is concluded that the modeling parameter of GOTHIC 6.1b code should be modified when applying the mechanistic burn model for hydrogen propagation analysis in small geometry.