Probabilistic safety analyses developments resurgence in Bulgaria—Kozloduy nuclear power plant example

This paper presents some of the main technical features and insights of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant (NPP) units 5 and 6 probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) level 1. Probabilistic analyses and their applications in Bulgaria were given further impetus in recent years. More than 17 years after the first PSA study in Bulgaria in 1992 today probabilistic analyses receive increasing attention and application than ever before. The Bulgarian regulatory body (BNRA) is also interested in expanding their capability of reviewing and using PSA in plant safety assessments. In November 2008 within the framework of the program financed by European Union (PHARE), a project for assisting the BNRA in establishing the regulatory requirements on the base of PSA was completed. One of the objectives of this project was performance of the independent review of Kozloduy NPP units 5 and 6 PSA. This review was a new impulse for the authors to present in more details of Kozloduy NPP probabilistic assessment studies in the present paper.     

VVER-1000型反应堆压力容器热老化分析评估

本文系统介绍了VVER-1000型反应堆压力容器(RPV)的温度监督情况,针对田湾核电站1#机组RPV的温度监督测试结果进行分析,评价运行3年后RPV力学性能(包括拉伸、冲击、断裂韧性)变化行为及热老化脆化机理,评估了当前田湾RPV服役运行后的热老化脆化状态和温度监督的时间安排。结果表明,温度监督样品经过堆内高温环境考验后,焊缝材料表现出一定程度的脆化特征,但母材、热影响区脆化不明显。与康采恩模型的结果和俄罗斯数据相比较后,认为田湾核电站1#机组RPV热老化脆化情况在合理范围内。     

受压热冲击下反应堆压力容器内流动和传热研究综述

在发生反应堆失水事故（LOCA）时，紧急安注导致的受压热冲击（PTS）对反应堆压力容器（RPV）的安全有着重要影响，对于失水事故下反应堆压力容器内流动和传热的研究，发达国家已经进行了很年，在试验模拟和数值计算方面均取得了很多的成果，随着我国近年来核电技术的进步，对失水事故下RPV的完整性展开了研究工作，本文总结了国内外该方面研究工作，研究工作中存在的问题和发展的方向进行了探讨。     

反应堆压力容器断裂力学分析中弹塑性有限元方法与工程方法的比较

通过ABAQUS程序对反应堆压力容器简体裂纹进行了弹塑性断裂力学有限元分析,计算了在热冲击(PTS)瞬态作用下裂纹尖端的应力强度因子KI、J积分.同时,与工程方法计算的结果进行了比较,结果表明:工程方法在PTS计算分析时较三维弹塑性断裂力学有限元方法的计算值偏大,计算结果保守.     

Effect of corrosion potential on the corrosion fatigue crack growth behaviour of low-alloy steels in high-temperature water

The low-frequency corrosion fatigue (CF) crack growth behaviour of different low-alloy reactor pressure vessel steels was characterized under simulated boiling water reactor conditions by cyclic fatigue tests with pre-cracked fracture mechanics specimens. The experiments were performed in the temperature range of 240-288 °C with different loading parameters at different electrochemical corrosion potentials (ECPs). Modern high-temperature water loops, on-line crack growth monitoring (DCPD) and fractographical analysis by SEM were used to quantify the cracking response. In this paper the effect of ECP on the CF crack growth behaviour is discussed and compared with the crack growth model of General Electric (GE). The ECP mainly affected the transition from fast (‘high-sulphur’) to slow (‘low-sulphur’) CF crack growth, which appeared as critical frequencies ν_crit = f(ΔK, R, ECP) and ΔK-thresholds ΔK_EAC = f(ν, R, ECP) in the cycle-based form and as a critical air fatigue crack growth rate da/dt_Air,crit in the time-domain form. The critical crack growth rates, frequencies, and ΔK_EAC-thresholds were shifted to lower values with increasing ECP. The CF crack growth rates of all materials were conservatively covered by the ‘high-sulphur’ CF line of the GE-model for all investigated temperatures and frequencies. Under most system conditions, the model seems to reasonably well predict the experimentally observed parameter trends. Only under highly oxidizing conditions (ECP ? 0 mV_SHE) and slow strain rates/low loading frequencies the GE-model does not conservatively cover the experimentally gathered crack growth rate data. Based on the GE-model and the observed cracking behaviour a simple time-domain superposition-model could be used to develop improved reference CF crack growth curves for codes.     

Integrated software safety analysis method for digital I&C systems

The digitalized Instrumentation and Control (I&C) system of Nuclear power plants can provide more powerful overall operation capability, and user friendly man-machine interface. The operator can obtain more information through digital I&C system. However, while I&C system being digitalized, three issues are encountered: (1) software common-cause failure, (2) the interaction failure between operator and digital instrumentation and control system interface, and (3) the non-detectability of software failure. These failures might defeat defense echelons, and make the Diversity and Defense-in-Depth (D3) analysis be more difficult. This work developed an integrated methodology to evaluate nuclear power plant safety effect by interactions between operator and digital I&C system, and then propose improvement recommendations. This integrated methodology includes component-level software fault tree, system-level sequence-tree method and nuclear power plant computer simulation analysis. Software fault tree can clarify the software failure structure in digital I&C systems. Sequence-tree method can identify the interaction process and relationship among operator and I&C systems in each D3 echelon in a design basis event. Nuclear power plant computer simulation analysis method can further analyze the available backup facilities and allowable manual action duration for the operator when the digital I&C fail to function. Applying this methodology to evaluate the performance of digital nuclear power plant D3 design, could promote the nuclear power plant operation safety. The operator can then trust the nuclear power plant than before, when operating the highly automatic digital I&C facilities.     

关于10MW高温气冷堆反应堆压力壳的水压试验研究

对ＨＴＲ－１０反应堆压力壳进行了水压试验。用自行研制的液压张拉机对压力壳主螺栓实施了合理及有效的张拉,对压力壳进行了应变和变形测量,反应堆压力壳水压试验结果表明,压力过达到设计要求。     

Pressure and temperature analyses using GOTHIC for Mark I containment of the Chinshan Nuclear Power Plant

Chinshan Nuclear Power Plant in Taiwan is a GE-designed twin-unit BWR/4 plant with original licensed thermal power (OLTP) of 1775 MWt for each unit. Recently, the Stretch Power Uprate (SPU) program for the Chinshan plant is being conducted to uprate the core thermal power to 1858 MWt (104.66% OLTP). In this study, the Chinshan Mark I containment pressure/temperature responses during LOCA at 105% OLTP (104.66% OLTP + 0.34% OLTP power uncertainty = 105% OLTP) are analyzed using the containment thermal-hydraulic program GOTHIC. Three kinds of LOCA (Loss of Coolant Accident) scenarios are investigated: Recirculation Line Break (RCLB), Main Steam Line Break (MSLB), and Feedwater Line Break (FWLB). In the short-term analyses, blowdown data generated by RELAP5 transient analyses are provided as boundary conditions to the GOTHIC containment model. The calculated peak drywell pressure and temperature in the RCLB event are 217.2 kPaG and 137.1 °C, respectively, which are close to the original FSAR results (219.2 kPaG and 138.4 °C). Additionally, the peak drywell temperature of 155.3 °C calculated by MSLB is presented in this study. To obtain the peak suppression pool temperature, a long-term RCLB analysis is performed using a simplified RPV (Reactor Pressure Vessel) volume to calculate blowdown flow rate. One RHR (Residual Heat Removal) heat exchanger is assumed to be inoperable for suppression pool cooling mode. The calculated peak suppression pool temperature is 93.2 °C, which is below the pool temperature used for evaluating the net positive suction head of pumps of the RHR system and the Emergency Core Cooling Systems (96.7 °C). The peak containment pressure and temperature are well below the design value (386.1 kPaG and 171.1 °C). Containment integrity of Chinshan Plant can be maintained under the SPU condition.     

Magnetic Properties of Thermally Aged Fe-Cu Alloys with Pre-deformation

Magnetic properties of thermally aged Fe-Cu alloys with pre-deformation have been evaluated to improve the understanding of using magnetic technology for the nondestructive evaluation(NDE)of irradiation embrittlement in reactor pressure vessel(RPV)steels.Fe-Cu alloys with and without pre-deformation were thermally aged at 500 ℃ and the changes in microstructure,mechanical properties and magnetic properties were determined.It is found that the strain-induced dislocations recover and the Cu-rich particles precipitate during the aging process,and the magnetic properties variation depends on the combined influence of these two factors.From the point of view of NDE,a fully tempered or annealed microstructure is favorable before RPV is put into service.These results improve the understanding of magnetic property evolution in actual RPV steels and help to develop NDE theory for irradiation embrittlement.     

反应堆压力容器外水冷条件下贯穿件完整性分析

严重事敝下堆芯熔融物坍塌到反应堆压力容器(RPV)下封头时,可能造成贯穿件因高温熔融物热侵袭而失效,使压力容器丧失完整性,熔融物进入到反应堆堆腔中,导致熔融物堆内滞留(IVR)失效.在分析贯穿件脱落和熔融物流入贯穿件两种失效模式基础上,分别运用VTA程序和修正的整体凝固模型(MBF)计算贯穿件焊缝的熔化程度、热膨胀产生的摩擦力,估算贯穿件内熔融物流动的距离.结果表明,在成功实施反应堆压力容器外水冷(EVVC)措施条件下,300 MW压水堆核电厂压力容器的下封头不会因贯穿件失效而丧失完整性,堆芯熔融物小能通过贯穿件失效向堆腔迁移.