UX-30型UF_6运输货包核临界安全分析

利用MONK-9A和MCNP程序对UX-30型UF6运输货包进行了正常与事故工况下的核临界安全分析与评价。首先选取国际公布的临界基准实验数据,验证并确定了MONK-9A和MCNP程序计算分析类似物料形态时的偏倚和次临界限值。其次采取较为包络的临界安全假设条件,计算分析了UX-30型UF6运输货包正常与事故工况下的中子有效增殖因数,评价了运输过程的安全性。计算结果表明,UX-30型UF6运输货包在最严重事故工况下最大的keff小于确定的次临界限值,处于次临界的安全状态。根据临界安全指数的定义,UX-30货包的临界安全指数CSI可定为0。     

基于SCALE的压水堆乏燃料贮存水池临界安全分析

基于国际先进的核设计与安全分析计算程序SCALE,针对我国自主研发的先进压水堆乏燃料贮存水池,建立恰当的计算模型,并选取合理的保守假设,计算乏燃料水池正常贮存及事故工况下的反应性,评估计算模型的临界安全,分析该程序对我国先进反应堆乏池计算的适用性。计算结果表明该先进压水堆乏燃料贮存水池正常贮存工况及事故工况的有效增值因子均小于0.95,处于次临界状态。该设计模型可确保燃料堆内贮存区域临界状态安全可控。SCALE计算程序适用于我国自主研发的先进压水堆乏燃料水池临界安全计算。     

田湾核电站乏燃料干式贮存临界安全计算研究

以CASTOR 1000/19干式贮存容器装载田湾核电站六角形乏燃料组件为例,研究六角形乏燃料干式贮存的临界安全问题。基于新燃料假设,应用MONK9A程序对贮存容器满装载乏燃料进行不同工况下k_eff的计算。计算结果表明：正常工况下,k_eff远小于临界安全限值,是临界安全的;事故工况下,当²³⁵U富集度大于3.15%时,系统存在临界安全风险,须减少乏燃料装载量来确保临界安全。考虑燃耗信任制后,采用相同的模型计算得出贮存容器满装载的参考装载曲线,按此曲线要求装载能确保所有工况下的系统临界安全。采用燃耗信任制技术提高了贮存容器的利用率。该研究可为田湾核电站采用乏燃料干式贮存方案提供依据。     

基于SCALE的RFA改进型燃料组件堆内贮存临界安全分析

RFA改进型燃料组件是西屋公司设计的能应用于大功率先进压水堆的改进型燃料组件。SCALE计算程序是一款在国际上得到广泛认可的综合性建模及模拟程序包,可用于核设计与核安全分析。基于SCALE计算程序,针对大功率先进压水堆的乏燃料贮存水池,建立恰当的计算模型,并选取合理的保守假设,分析乏燃料水池正常贮存及事故工况下的临界安全。计算结果表明一区正常贮存工况keff值为0.901 29,组件跌落事故工况下,有效增值因子为0.907 93。二区正常贮存工况下,计算模型keff值为0.909 98,新燃料组件误插入事故工况keff值为0.924 07。先进压水堆乏燃料贮存水池正常贮存工况及事故工况的有效增值因子均小于0.95,处于次临界状态。该设计模型可确保燃料堆内贮存区域临界状态安全可控。     

截短型燃料组件堆内贮存临界安全分析

基于小型压水堆特有的截短型燃料组件,建立乏燃料贮存水池几何模型,分析正常贮存及事故工况下的临界安全。选取合理的保守假设,建立适当的计算模型,分别计算了一区和二区正常贮存工况、地震事故工况、组件跌落事故工况、新组件误插入事故工况的反应性。计算得到事故工况下有效增值因子最大值为0.932 83。小型压水堆乏燃料贮存水池临界安全分析中,正常工况及事故工况下计算结果均小于0.95。该设计模型可确保燃料堆内贮存区域处于次临界状态,且安全可控。     

UF_6转化金属铀核临界安全分析

采用我国现行核临界安全标准及MCNP4C程序,对UF6转化金属铀生产线进行核临界安全分析和评价。选取国际公布的核临界基准实验数据,确认了MCNP4C程序计算分析被评价系统的偏倚和次临界限值。采取偏保守的假设条件,计算分析了镀铜工序正常与可信事故工况下的中子有效增殖因子,并结合核临界安全标准的要求,评价该生产线的安全性。分析结果表明,该生产线次临界控制参数或最大中子有效增殖因子均小于相应次临界限值,处于次临界安全状态。     

中国先进研究堆新燃料组件运输的临界安全分析

在新燃料组件运输过程中,临界安全是重点。使用MCNP程序对中国先进研究堆新燃料组件的运输进行临界安全计算分析,通过选取最不利临界安全的次临界限值、组件模型参数、事故工况来保证计算结果的保守性。结果表明,运输货包的临界安全指数可确定为0。该结果可为中国先进研究堆（CARR）的新燃料组件运输容器的研发提供参考依据。     

田湾核电站乏燃料水池采用燃耗信任制的计算研究

以田湾核电站(TNPS)2×5排列的贮存格架构成的乏燃料水池为例,研究采用燃耗信任制技术的密集贮存和临界安全问题。采用MONK9A程序计算分析不同富集度、不同燃耗的乏燃料装载情况下系统的k_eff. 根据系统k_eff随不同初始富集度燃料的燃耗变化情况给出了水池的参考装载曲线。采用燃耗信任制技术的密集贮存方案能提高贮存能力31%。     

核燃料元件临时贮存临界安全分析

利用蒙特卡罗通用软件包(MCNP)计算分析了某研究堆、核电厂燃料元件和燃料芯块在正常情况和事故条件下临时贮存在某设施中的临界安全水平。给出了在该设施中可贮存的燃料元件富集度临界限值。计算了栅距和水密度等对临界系数的影响,并对几种燃料芯块贮存方案进行了比较。分析表明:在正常情况和事故条件下燃料元件在该设施中的贮存临界安全可靠;设施中可贮存燃料元件富集度限值为7.44%;随富集度增大,keff近似成一次递增、二次衰减关系;随栅距d变大,keff近似成线性衰减关系;对于不同富集度的燃料芯块,不同富集度的燃料应分区存放,且应避免将富集度高的燃料放在中心区域。     

CNSC乏燃料组件运输容器临界安全分析

临界安全作为乏燃料组件运输容器的一项重要安全指标,需经过计算和分析以判断其是否满足法规标准。为分析中国核工业集团有限公司(China National Nuclear Corporation,CNSC)乏燃料组件运输容器临界安全设计是否满足《放射性物品安全运输规程》的要求,使用蒙特卡罗程序MCNP(Monte Carlo N Particle Transport Code)构建了保守临界计算模型,对正常和事故工况下CNSC乏燃料组件运输容器进行了临界计算分析。分析表明:正常运输条件下单个货包和货包阵列的k_(eff)最大值为0.804 25,小于次临界限值,临界安全指数为0;事故工况下单个货包和货包阵列的k_(eff)最大值为0.813 17,小于次临界限值,临界安全指数为0。可见,正常和事故工况下,CNSC乏燃料组件运输容器的keff最大值均小于0.94的次临界限值,临界安全指数为0,满足法规标准要求。     

New approach to evaluate lattice expansion of light water reactor fuel elements on criticality safety of transport packages under impact accidents

Abstract

In order to safely transport packages containing light water reactor fuel assemblies, it is essential to maintain the fuel assemblies in a subcritical state in accidents during transport. To evaluate nuclear criticality safety, an estimator is required to determine an absolutely safe level based not only on hypothetical accidents but also on practical accident levels which, to some extent, are based on actual accidents. The purpose of the present study is to suggest the arrangement of the deformation range of the fuel assembly after an actual accident, and to obtain the maximum value of the neutron effective multiplication factor based on the criticality safety assessment for the transport cask. In the present study, two kinds of criticality calculations for the package were considered: large scale pin pitch shift and small scale pin pitch shift. For the large scale pin pitch shift, a parameter which determines the location of each fuel pin which constitutes the fuel assembly was introduced so that the criticality calculation for the fuel assembly with non-uniform lattice pitch can be performed parametrically. The result of the criticality calculation using the parameter made it clear that the fuel pin pitch is sensitive to the neutron reactivity because each of the fuel pin pitches is related to a ratio of the fissile to the moderator, and that the relationship of the ratio to the neutron reactivity depends on the type of the fuel assembly involved, i.e. the type of a nuclear reactor in which a fuel assembly is used. For the small scale pin pitch shift, the study focused on the small displacement of each fuel pin. The small displacement of each fuel pin pitch can be described probabilistically using the stochastic geometry routine in MCNP code. Using the scheme in combination with the scheme for the large scale pin pitch shift, the maximum value of the neutron effective multiplication factor of the package after an accident can be obtained. This scheme is useful to determine the maximum neutron effective multiplication factor for the criticality safety evaluation.     

MCNPX, MONK, and ERANOS analyses of the YALINA Booster subcritical assembly

This paper compares the numerical results obtained from various nuclear codes and nuclear data libraries with the YALINA Booster subcritical assembly (Minsk, Belarus) experimental results. This subcritical assembly was constructed to study the physics and the operation of accelerator-driven subcritical systems (ADS) for transmuting the light water reactors (LWR) spent nuclear fuel. The YALINA Booster facility has been accurately modeled, with no material homogenization, by the Monte Carlo codes MCNPX (MCNP/MCB) and MONK. The MONK geometrical model matches that of MCNPX. The assembly has also been analyzed by the deterministic code ERANOS. In addition, the differences between the effective neutron multiplication factor and the source multiplication factors have been examined by alternative calculational methodologies. The analyses include the delayed neutron fraction, prompt neutron lifetime, generation time, neutron flux profiles, and spectra in various experimental channels. The accuracy of the numerical models has been enhanced by accounting for all material impurities and the actual density of the polyethylene material used in the assembly (the latter value was obtained by dividing the total weight of the polyethylene by its volume in the numerical model). There is good agreement between the results from MONK, MCNPX, and ERANOS. The ERANOS results show small differences relative to the other results because of material homogenization and the energy and angle discretizations.The MCNPX results match the experimental measurements of the ³He(n,p) reaction rates obtained with the californium neutron source.     

Neutron absorber coatings for criticality control in annular tanks employed in spent fuel reprocessing

Computational analysis has been carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of neutron absorber coatings for criticality control in an annular tank used in fast reactor spent fuel reprocessing unit. The effect of composition, thickness and coating configuration for a given tank design and fuel solution concentration was evaluated on the basis of the multiplication factor (k_eff) calculated using the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code. The neutron absorbers considered for the study were pure boron carbide (B₄C), B₄C/Ni–Cr combination and colmonoy. The effect of enriched boron was also analyzed. The results show that the coatings can enhance the storage capacity up to 30% for the annular tank studied.     

Computation on Fuel Particle Size Capable of Being Regarded as Homogeneous in Nuclear Criticality Safety Analysis

For powdered fuel processed in the nuclear fuel facilities, flooding is often thought to be the severest condition regarding the nuclear criticality safety evaluation. The reactivity of such a heterogeneous system as powdered fuel in water should be almost equal to that of the homogeneous one, when the fuel particle size is very small. The neutron multiplication factor was calculated for an infinite cubic array of slightly enriched UO₂ sphere particles immersed in water with various enrichments, water to fuel ratios and fuel particle sizes. The calculations were performed with a computer code module based on the collision probability method to solve the ultra-fine energy group equations of neutrons. The change in the neutron multiplication factor from the homogeneous system is dominated first by the change in the resonance escape probability and second by the change in the thermal utilization factor; these changes and therefore their sum, depend almost completely on the mean uranium concentration (or water to fuel volume ratio) and rarely on uranium enrichment up to 10 wt% for a fuel particle size of 1mm. The dependence determines the fuel particle size regarded as homogeneous in proportion to the negligible relative error of the neutron multiplication factors.     

Using ‘Component Multiplication’ in Monk to Reduce Pessimism in the Dose Rate Assessment for Water-Filled (Ullaged) Transport Packages

Abstract

The external dose rates from spent fuel packages consist of gamma ray and neutron components. The source of gamma rays is from fission products and actinides in the spent fuel and from activation products in structural components of the fuel element. Neutrons originate from spontaneous fission in actinides (for example from curium isotopes) within the spent fuel and from (alpha, n) reactions in oxide fuel. However, a significant number of neutrons are produced due to further fission within the fuel. This is known as neutron enhancement or multiplication (M). To treat the effects of enhancement, the neutron source may be scaled within the dose rate calculation. In a wet package, it has been customary to determine k_effective (k_eff) for a completely water-filled package or a package with a defined water level (for the horizontal transport condition). The irradiation of the fuel is normally taken into account in calculating k_eff for this purpose. The neutron enhancement is then obtained by calculating M = 1/(1 ? k_eff)) which is then applied as a source scaling factor throughout each fuel assembly. In a wet package, there is normally an ullage volume above the water level, the package only being partially flooded. The ullage volume is designed to accommodate pressure build-up within the package. Typically the top row of fuel assemblies may be partially covered and partially uncovered by water. When the above value of M is used for fuel within the dry part of the package, dose rates above the package tend to be overestimated and can limit the carrying capability of the package. (Also, a single value of M will tend to over-predict dose rate conuibutions from all assemblies around the periphery.) Use of component multiplication (a new feature available in the MONK computer code) enables two separate values of ‘k^eff’ to be determined for the wet and dry parts of the package. These typically differ by a factor of three, leading to differences in the enhancement, M. Use of different enhancement of neutrons in the wet and dry fuel regions enables a more realistic estimate of the dose rate above the ullage to be made and could remove considerable pessimism in future applications for package approval. In a package in which the neutron component dominates, this can represent a considerable reduction in dose rate. Consequently, a fuel with greater burn-up or shorter cooling may be carried without affecting the safety of the package. To date, the technique has only been shown to be applicable to irradiated fuel. Examples of the degree of reduction in neutron dose rate are given for two typical packages.     

Towards the development of upper subcriticality limits on the basis of benchmark criticality calculations

This paper concerns the assessment of standard point-wise neutron data libraries for criticality safety evaluations in units of the effective neutron multiplication factor, k_eff, the aim being to establish a methodology for the analysis of storage pools containing fuel assemblies discharged from the Swiss Light Water Reactors. The selected approach is based on using the Monte Carlo code MCNPX (version 2.4.0 was applied in the study at hand) and a modern standard point-wise neutron data library officially distributed by OECD/NEA databank. The approach is oriented towards meeting the broadly accepted general requirements to establish subcriticality, such as those formulated in the ANSI/ANS-8.1-1998 and ANSI/ANS-8.17-2004 Standards.     

液态熔盐堆运行安全特性初步研究

液态燃料反应堆与固态燃料反应堆相比,原理上有较大不同。液态熔盐堆中由于燃料流动带走缓发中子先驱核在堆外衰变导致堆芯反应性降低,且裂变产物在堆外回路中衰变也会引起一回路发热。本文使用熔盐堆中子动力学程序Cinsf1D探讨2 MW熔盐堆的临界动力学特性和安全特性,研究零功率临界下不同熔盐流速启泵和停泵导致的缓发中子先驱核流失所需改变的控制棒棒位。同时还计算了2 MW恒定功率情况下稳态运行及降低流速时一回路温度分布,并模拟了2 MW额定功率下停泵事件。停泵后由于缓发中子损失减少反应堆功率先缓慢增加,然后迅速降低到接近余热水平。停泵后堆芯温度缓慢增加后稳定在安全值以内,说明熔盐堆具有本征安全性。     

新概念熔盐堆物理计算方法研究及程序设计

考虑新概念熔盐堆燃料盐的流动特性,从基本的粒子守恒方程出发,推导了熔盐堆的中子动力学模型,并采用数值方法对3种工况下熔盐堆的临界问题进行计算,考察流动对有效增殖系数、快中子分布、热中子分布及缓发中子先驱核分布的影响。结果表明：质量流量对有效增殖系数的影响很小,对热中子分布的影响比对快中子分布的影响大,而质量流量越大,缓发中子先驱核移出堆芯的比率也越大。