Identification of surrogate fluids for molten salt coolants used in energy systems applications including concentrated solar and nuclear power plants

Author(s):  
Arturo Cabral ◽  
Cody S. Wiggins ◽  
Lane B. Carasik ◽  
Joshua Fishler
Author(s):  
Ingo D. Kleinhietpaß ◽  
Hermann Unger ◽  
Hermann-Josef Wagner ◽  
Marco K. Koch

With the purpose of modeling and calculating the core behavior during severe accidents in nuclear power plants system codes are under development worldwide. Modeling of radionuclide release and transport in the case of beyond design basis accidents is an integrated feature of the deterministic safety analysis of nuclear power plants. Following a hypothetical, uncontrolled temperature escalation in the core of light water reactors, significant parts of the core structures may degrade and melt down under formation of molten pools, leading to an accumulation of large amounts of radioactive materials. The possible release of radionuclides from the molten pool provides a potential contribution to the aerosol source term in the late phase of core degradation accidents. The relevance of the amount of transferred oxygen from the gas atmosphere into the molten pool on the specification of a radionuclide and its release depends strongly on the initial oxygen inventory. Particularly for a low oxygen potential in the melt as it is the case for stratification when a metallic phase forms the upper layer and, respectively, when the oxidation has proceeded so far so that zirconium was completely oxidized, a significant influence of atmospheric oxygen on the specification and the release of some radionuclides has to be anticipated. The code RELOS (Release of Low Volatile Fission Products from Molten Surfaces) is under development at the Department of Energy Systems and Energy Economics (formerly Department of Nuclear and New Energy Systems) of the Ruhr-University Bochum. It is based on a mechanistic model to describe the diffusive and convective transport of fission products from the surface of a molten pool into a cooler gas atmosphere. This paper presents the code RELOS, i. e. the features and abilities of the latest code version V2.3 and the new model improvements of V2.4 and the calculated results evaluating the implemented models which deal with the oxygen transfer from the liquid side of the phase boundary to the bulk of the melt by diffusion or by taking into account natural convection. Both models help to estimate the amount of oxygen entering into the liquid upper pool volume and being available for the oxidation reaction. For both models the metallic, the oxidic and a mixture phase can be taken into account when defining the composition of the upper pool volume. The influence of crust formation, i. e. the decrease of the liquid pool surface area is taken care of because it yields the relevant amount of fission products released into the atmosphere. The difference of the partial density between the gas side of the phase boundary and the bulk of the gas phase is the driving force of mass transport.


Author(s):  
A. A. Mikhalevic ◽  
U. A. Rak

The article presents the analysis of the specific features of modeling the operation of energy systems with a large share of nuclear power plants (NPP). The study of operating conditions and characteristics of different power units showed that a power engineering system with a large share of NPP and CHPP requires more detailed modeling of operating modes of generating equipment. Besides, with an increase in the share of installations using renewable energy sources, these requirements are becoming tougher. A review of the literature revealed that most often the curve of the load duration and its distribution between blocks are used for modeling energy systems. However, since this method does not reflect a chronological sequence, it can only be used if there are no difficulties with ensuring power balance. Along with this, when the share of CHP and nuclear power plants is high, to maintain a balance of power one must know the parameters and a set of powered equipment not only currently but, also, in the previous period. But this is impossible if a curve of load duration is used. For modeling, it is necessary to use an hourly load curve and to calculate the state of the energy system for each subsequent hour in chronological order. In the course of a comparative analysis of available computer programs, it was not possible to identify a suitable model among the existing ones. The article presents a mathematical model developed by the authors, which makes us possible to simulate the operation of a power engineering system with a large share of NPP and CHPP while maintaining the power balance for each hour of the forecast period. Verification of the proposed model showed good accuracy of the methods used.


Author(s):  
Marjorie B. Bauman ◽  
Richard F. Pain ◽  
Harold P. Van Cott ◽  
Margery K. Davidson

2010 ◽  
pp. 50-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo T. León ◽  
Loreto Cuesta ◽  
Eduardo Serra ◽  
Luis Yagüe

Author(s):  
R. Z. Aminov ◽  
A. N. Bayramov ◽  
M. V. Garievskii

The paper gives the analysis of the problem of the primary current frequency regulation in the power system, as well as the basic requirements for NPP power units under the conditions of involvement in the primary regulation. According to these requirements, the operation of NPPs is associated with unloading and a corresponding decrease in efficiency. In this regard, the combination of nuclear power plants with a hydrogen complex is shown to eliminate the inefficient discharge mode which allows the steam turbine equipment and equipment of the reactor facility to operate in the basic mode at the nominal power level. In addition, conditions are created for the generation and accumulation of hydrogen and oxygen during the day, as well as additionally during the nighttime failure of the electrical load which allows them to be used to generate peak power.  The purpose of the article is to assess the systemic economic effect as a result of the participation of nuclear power plants in combination with the hydrogen complex in the primary control of the current frequency in the power sys-tem, taking into account the resource costs of the main equipment. In this regard, the paper gives the justification of cyclic loading of the main equipment of the hydrogen complex: metal storage tanks of hydrogen and oxygen, compressor units, hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber of vapor-hydrogen overheating of the working fluid in the steam turbine cycle of a nuclear power plant. The methodological foundations for evaluating the working life of equipment under cyclic loading with the participation in the primary frequency control by the criterion of the growth rate of a fatigue crack are described. For the equipment of the hydrogen complex, the highest intensity of loading is shown to occur in the hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber due to high thermal stresses.  The system economic effect is estimated and the effect of wear of the main equipment under cyclic loading is shown. Under the conditions of combining NPP power units with a hydrogen complex, the efficiency of primary reg-ulation is shown to depend significantly on: the cost of equipment subjected to cyclic loading; frequency and intensity of cyclic loading; the ratio of the tariff for peak electricity, and the cost of electricity of nuclear power plants.  Based on the developed methodology for assessing the effectiveness of the participation of nuclear power plants with a hydrogen complex in the primary frequency control, taking into account the damage to the equipment, the use of the hydrogen complex is shown to provide a tangible economic effect compared with the option of unloading nuclear power plants with direct participation in frequency control.


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