Interpretation of Spatial Kinetics for Rod Drop Experiment in Loosely Coupled-Core Systems

Abstract

The coupled two-core reactor systems with various degrees of spatial coupling were constructed in the Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA) to study the spatial kinetics observed in the control rod drop experiment. By applying the two-mode and the two-point kinetic models to the space-dependent rod worths measured on the basis of the one-point model, the first-harmonic λ-mode eigenvalue separation and the reactivity coupling coefficient were inferred. The present values of these parameters agreed with the results obtained by the reactor noise measurements and the diffusion calculations.

The experimental results show that the magnitudes of the spatial kinetic phenomena including the dependence of the rod reactivity worth on the detector position, the reactivity interaction effect between control rods and the transient flux tilts induced by the rod drop, which have been significantly observed in large thermal and fast power reactors, are inversely proportional to the eigenvalue separation. Applying the two-mode model, the inherent reactivity worths of control rods were also inferred from the space-dependent ones.     

铅铋堆零功率实验装置控制棒价值测量及方法优化

零功率实验装置的控制棒价值测量一般采用周期法、置换法或落棒法对刻棒实验进行简单处理。为提高刻棒效率,本文提出了无补偿的多步降棒刻棒方法,采用该方法对我国首个铅铋堆零功率实验装置控制棒价值进行了测量,与补偿刻棒方式及落棒法测量结果进行了对比,并通过理论计算验证了该方法的准确性。结果表明：本文方法有效降低了空间效应对测量值的影响,控制棒价值测量结果准确可靠,可在较短时间内完成较高精度的刻棒实验,适用于需经常更换装料方案的临界实验装置。     

Control Rod Worth Measurement and Method Optimization of Lead-bismuth Reactor Zero-power Experimental Device

The control rod worth measurement of the zero-power experimental device is generally performed by the periodic method, the substitution method or the rod drop method. In order to improve the efficiency of measurement, a multi-step rod-insertion method without compensation was proposed. The control rod worth of the first lead-bismuth reactor zero-power experimental device in China was measured by this method, and the results were compared with those obtained by the compensation method and the rod drop method. The accuracy of the method was verified by theoretical calculations. The results indicate that this method effectively reduces the space effect on measured worth, and the measurement results of control rod worth are accurate and reliable. The method can complete the higher precision rod worth measurement in a short time, and is suitable for the critical experimental device that needs to change the charging scheme frequently.     

三维耦合分析软件的落棒事故分析

作为数值反应堆中必不可少的物理和热工部分,中广核研究院有限公司开发了三维物理热工耦合分析软件,通过动态链接库技术实现了自主研发的核反应堆系统瞬态分析软件和三维核设计软件的耦合,并已与国际基准题结果对比验证。本文为耦合软件的应用,围绕华龙一号的落棒分析问题,开展不同落棒组合的耦合计算分析,并研究停堆棒组落棒和温度调节棒（R）棒组两组落棒对堆芯功率的影响。分析结果表明,非中心对称的棒组落棒事故会导致堆芯径向功率出现不对称,并使得堆芯出口回路温度不同。落棒反应性价值越大,R棒调节后的稳态功率回升相比初始稳态差异越大,DNBR公式计算值的变化趋势与功率呈现相反规律。     

Prompt alpha and reactivity measurements on fast metal assemblies

This paper summarizes and reviews the methods of reactivity determination and measurement of the prompt-neutron decay, briefly describes the equipment requirements for such measurements for unmoderated metal assemblies, and presents experimental results to illustrate the methods. These assemblies include fast metal critical assemblies and fast pulsed reactors. The primary reactivity determination methods used have been: (1) stable reactor period measurements which are usually used near delayed criticality to obtain the reactivity or to calibrate the reactivity prior to burst initiation; (2) prompt reactor period measurements which are useful to determine the reactivity early in superprompt critical excursions; (3) inverse kinetics rod drop measurements which obtain the reactivity as a function of time after a rod or reactor component is removed from a delayed critical assembly, and (4) prompt neutron decay constant measurements from which the reactivity can be obtained if corrections are made for changes in the neutron lifetime. Inverse kinetics and decay constant measurements are usually used below delayed criticality, although decay constant measurements have been performed above delayed critical.The decay constant is usually obtained by the traditional pulsed-neutron method, using a pulsed neutron source such as a Cockcroft-Walton accelerator, or by the Rossi-α method. The recent use of ²⁵²Cf has resulted in some new techniques for determining the decay constant and reactivity; this method has some unique advantages over the traditional methods. The theory of these new measurements is reviewed, and some recent results are presented.     

Space-Dependent Effect Observed in Subcriticality Measurements for Loosely Coupled-Core System

The results of the subcriticality measurements by various techniques performed for the UTR-KINKI reactor, a light-water-moderated and graphite-reflected coupled-core reactor, are presented. The result of the source-multiplication measurement indicates that the apparent dependence of the subcriticality on the detector position is significantly observed even under a condition 2$ subcritical, and that the location of neutron source remarkably influences the sub- criticality obtained. On the other hand, the spatial dependence in the source-jerk measurement is slight relative to that in the source-multiplication and the rod drop measurements. Furthermore, the result of the Feynman-α measurement suggests that much more samples should be acquired for the reduction of the experimental uncertainty to the same level as that in the above measurements.     

3×3棒束通道内蒸汽对流换热特性数值分析

采用计算流体力学(CFD)方法,建立3×3棒束模拟体的数值模型,进行蒸汽冷却条件下的对流传热特性分析。结果表明:棒束通道内周向的壁面热流密度不均匀性明显,体现出流固耦合方法相比于均匀热流方法对传热细节模拟的优越性。蒸汽速度场、温度场、热流密度、换热系数等热工参数分布规律受入口效应、壁面效应、热源分布、物性参数等因素影响。压力的升高及氢气的加入均能提升通道内的换热性能。加热段换热系数沿程变化趋势与文献[13]中Deissier的趋势一致,CFD的换热系数结果与WCOBRA/TRAC程序中的关系式吻合较好。本文模拟方法可行,其结果可为后续的实验模拟体设计提供技术支持。     

Multi-resolution analysis for determining control rod drop time

This study describes a multi-resolution analysis (MRA) to determine the onset and end drop times of control rods. The measurement test of the drop times of control rods is normally performed during the start-up test of each reactor cycle since it is a crucial safety function to guarantee the reactor safe shutdown. The MRA with wavelet transform is particularly useful in analyzing the onset transients of rod drop as a means of capturing the unique attributes of such signals in an efficient way. This approach also allows the automated determination of rod drop time which reduces the uncertainty induced by ad hoc heuristic approaches. The test signal is generated by adding the random noise measured from real rod drop tests subtracting the wavelet-filtered noise free signal from the noisy signal leaving the noise. The signal is similar to both high sharp spikes noise and sine wave noise from the real voltage trace generated during the rod drop test. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by the MRA process.     

基于刚柔耦合的改进型控制棒组件变形通道落棒行为分析

燃料组件在堆芯内经历长期辐照后易产生弯曲形变，影响控制棒的安全落棒，因此亟需研究变形通道下控制棒落棒行为影响机制。通过数值模拟手段对导向管发生弯曲变形后的落棒行为规律进行分析研究，利用刚柔耦合方法分别计算直型、C型、S型导向管内的落棒行为，分析整个落棒行程、速度、加速度、沿程碰撞力随时间的变化情况，对比直型和2种不同变形通道对落棒行为的影响。研究结果表明，刚柔耦合方法可以较好地模拟变形通道下的落棒行为，C型落棒未发生卡滞，S型落棒卡滞于第2道弯折处。本研究将有助于为弯曲变形导致落棒卡涩问题的极限弯曲阈值提供判断依据，为工程设计提供参考。      

脉动流下棒束通道内相位差及瞬态流场研究

事故条件及海洋条件下反应堆处于非稳态工况,堆芯燃料组件内热工水力行为具有瞬变及多因素耦合特性,对反应堆的安全提出更高挑战,因此有必要对燃料组件内瞬态特性进行研究。本文通过测量棒状燃料组件内压降和流量之间延迟时间开展棒束通道脉动流条件下相位差研究,对比了相位差在不同振幅、不同流动状态下的变化特性,并分析了定位格架对脉动流相位差的作用特点。另外,基于粒子图像测速（PIV）技术开展了脉动流条件下棒束通道内流场分布特性研究,对比了相同流量条件下稳态工况与瞬态工况下流场分布差异,分析了主流具备不同加速度时棒束通道内流场分布特征。实验结果表明：定位格架可减小脉动流下棒束通道内相位差;棒束通道内流场演化滞后于主流量变化。实验结果有助于揭示燃料组件在非稳态条件下瞬态特性,并为燃料组件的设计和优化奠定基础。     

双面慢化环形燃料反应堆物理实验

环形燃料零功率反应堆是首个双面慢化环形燃料作为核燃料的反应堆。本文采用周期法、落棒法获取环形燃料零功率反应堆的临界参数、控制棒价值、元件价值、含Gd元件的反应性效应等关键参数,对环形燃料零功率反应堆的物理性能进行实验研究,验证环形燃料反应堆堆芯物理设计计算程序。结果表明：根据外推过程确定堆芯临界装载环形燃料元件96根,实心燃料元件172根,此时k_eff为1.000 40,堆芯调节棒价值为-247.5 pcm,安全棒价值为-1 358.4 pcm;元件价值与理论值平均偏差为1.3 pcm,含Gd元件反应性效应与理论值平均相对偏差为8.8%。本文结果为环形燃料的工程化设计程序提供关键数据支撑。     

First application of large reactivity measurement through rod drop based on three-dimensional space-time dynamics

Reactivity measurement is an essential part of a zero-power physics test,which is critical to reactor design and development.The rod drop experimental technique...     

Improved Monte Carlo-perturbation method for estimation of control rod worths in a research reactor

A hybrid method dedicated to improve the experimental technique for estimation of control rod worths in a research reactor is presented. The method uses a combination of Monte Carlo technique and perturbation theory. Perturbation method is used to obtain the equation for the relative efficiency of control rod insertion. A series of coefficients, describing the axial absorption profile are used to correct the equation for a composite rod, having a complicated burn-up irradiation history. These coefficients have to be determined – by experiment or by using some theoretical/numerical method. In the present paper they are derived from the macroscopic absorption cross-sections, obtained from detailed Monte Carlo calculations by MCNPX 2.6.F of the axial burn-up profile during control rod life. The method is validated on measurements of control rod worths at the BR2 reactor. Comparison with direct MCNPX evaluations of control rod worths is also presented.     

A mathematical model of a control rod drop

A mathematical model of a control rod drop for a pressurized water reactor is presented. A hybrid computer program is used to solve the non-linear differential equations which describe the model. The computer solution is briefly described. The rod drop time computed by using the model is compared with available data from experimental results for a rack and pinion control system. Additional applications of the mathematical model are described and presented.     

Methodology for a numerical simulation of an insertion or a drop of the rod cluster control assembly in a PWR

In a pressurised water reactor, the rod cluster control assembly is a system which controls the neutronic activity of the core. It consists of long rods, connected by a spider fixture and a cylindrical system for the control drive mechanism. At its withdrawn position, the activity of the core is maximum, and at its completely inserted position, the activity of the core vanishes. In case of emergency, an effective way to shutdown the reactor is to let it drop under its own weight. An other way to verify the efficiency of the rod cluster control assembly is the insertion test. It consists in inserting the rod into its guides and in checking if the reaction friction force is not high enough to block the movement of the rod cluster control assembly.We present in this paper a methodology for a numerical simulation of an insertion or a drop of the rod cluster control assembly into its guides (discontinuous and continuous guides, guide thimble). A numerical model is elaborated in which many loads are taken into account: fluid load, gravity and friction force between the rod and the guide. The numerical results are compared to experimental measurements obtained from a full-scale structure. A good agreement between the calculated and the measured data is observed.The numerical model takes into account the possible deflection of the guide. It shows clearly that the friction force cannot be neglected when the guide is bowed. So one can locate a faulty guiding system by examining the reaction force during the insertion test. Then, the numerical model can help the decider to make his choice among different rod cluster/fuel assembly components.     

CAP1400数值反应堆系统关键技术研究及示范应用

本文系统介绍了“大型先进压水堆及高温气冷堆核电站”国家科技重大专项课题“CAP1400数值反应堆关键技术研究”的主要研究成果。课题首先分别开发了基于确定论方法和蒙特卡罗方法的高保真堆芯物理计算程序,然后开发了pin by pin先进子通道分析程序和基于精细网格的燃料棒性能分析程序,以此为基础建立了物理 热工 燃料性能多物理耦合的CAP1400数值反应堆系统。利用国际基准题VERA、AP1000启动物理实验参数对数值反应堆系统进行了验证和确认,并进一步实现了CAP1400大型先进压水堆的启动物理参数、循环模拟分析和部分功率能力分析的示范应用。数值结果表明,所开发的数值反应堆关键分析软件具有很高的计算精度,可直接服务于CAP1400的设计验证、物理启动和运行支持。     

控制棒水压驱动系统落棒减速性能实验研究

控制棒水压驱动系统是清华大学为低温核供热堆发明的新型的内置式控制棒驱动技术,控制棒水力减速部件是水压驱动系统的关键部件之一,通过其对控制棒落棒过程进行减速,在保证落棒时间的前提下,降低控制棒快速落棒过程的冲击力。分析了水力减速部件组成和工作原理,确定了水力减速箱侧壁开孔方案,完成了不同开孔方案工况下控制棒水压驱动系统冷态落棒减速性能实验,在实验结果的基础上对比和分析了不同方案下的落棒减速机理和落棒过程特征参数随开孔方案的变化规律。分析结果表明:随开孔面积的增大,落棒时间逐渐减小,落棒峰值速度逐渐增大。在开孔面积大于0.004 m~2时,随开孔面积的增大,落棒峰值速度增大过程趋于平缓,落棒稳定速度和落棒延迟时间变化不大,控制棒触碰碟簧速度缓慢增大。实验研究成果为控制棒水压驱动系统落棒减速部件的理论建模和设计优化提供了基础。     

Feasibility Study for Evaluation of Control Rod Worth in Pressurized Water Reactors using Neutron Count Rate during a Control Rod Drop Testing

Applicability of the modified Neutron Source Multiplication (NSM) method with extraction of the fundamental mode to subcriticality measurement has been proposed. Following the feasibility verification in the previous study based on numerical analyses, its applicability has been proven in a more realistic situation; in a withdrawal sequence of control rod banks during the PWR startup. Subcriticalities with various control rod insertion configurations were estimated based on the modified NSM method. The subcriticality could be evaluated with a good accuracy even with the mockup experiment where any special treatments for accurate measurement were not taken into account and furthermore the insensitivity of measured signals by reactivity changes and their large fluctuations were seen.

Based on this fact, we further investigated a feasibility to use neutron count rate data obtained during the control rod drop testing, which is carried out before the reactor physics tests at hot zero power condition. When it is proven that these data could be used for the estimation of each control rod worth, the following reactor physics tests could be performed with the advanced knowledge of each control rod worth and procedures for detailed control rod worth measurement could be simplified or eliminated from the reactor physics tests.     

控制棒棒位测量系统中两极板电容传感器设计

控制棒棒位测量对于反应堆运行与安全至关重要。针对NHR-200反应堆控制棒棒位测量系统,引入基于电容传感器的控制棒棒位测量方法。设计出一种两极板电容传感器,通过分析极板面积、干扰电容以及屏蔽方式的影响,进行仿真计算与优化。分析结果表明,计算结果与试验结果吻合较好,该传感器能进行控制棒棒位的准确测量,有较好的适应能力和应用前景。     

控制棒落棒时间分析软件CRAC的研发与验证

紧急停堆的落棒时间对反应堆安全至关重要。为适应华龙一号堆型的新型燃料组件设计,中国核动力研究设计院研制出一款落棒时间分析软件CRAC。采用一维流体力学公式结合经验机械阻力模型的方法,构建出CRAC软件理论框架,通过软件开发标准流程完成设计编码,并利用落棒试验数据开展了CRAC软件的验证。结果表明软件计算精度与保守性能满足华龙一号堆型安全停堆时间准则分析的需求。