Neutronic Analysis of the European Sodium Fast Reactor: Part I - Fresh Core Results

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emil Fridman ◽  
Francisco Álvarez Velarde ◽  
Pablo Romojaro Otero ◽  
Haileyesus Tsige-Tamirat ◽  
Antonio Jiménez-Carrascosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Core State ◽  
Computational Tools ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
The Core ◽  
Continuous Energy ◽  
Sodium Fast Reactor ◽  
Computer Codes ◽  
Calibration And Verification

Abstract In the framework of the Horizon 2020 project ESFR-SMART (2017-2021), the European Sodium Fast Reactor (ESFR) core was updated through a safety-related modification and optimization of the core design from the earlier FP7 CP-ESFR project (2009-2013). This study is dedicated to neutronic analyses of the improved ESFR core design. The conducted work is reported in two parts. Part I deals with the evaluation of the safety-related neutronic parameters of the fresh Beginning-of-Life (BOL) core carried out by 8 organizations using both continuous energy Monte Carlo and deterministic computer codes. In addition to the neutronics characterization of the core, a special emphasis was put on the calibration and verification of the computational tools involved in the analyses. Part II is devoted to once-through and realistic batch-wise burnup calculations aiming at the establishing of the equilibrium core state, which will later serve as a basis for detailed safety analyses.

Neutronic Analysis of the European Sodium Fast Reactor: Part II - Burnup Results

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emil Fridman ◽  
Francisco Álvarez Velarde ◽  
Pablo Romojaro Otero ◽  
Haileyesus Tsige-Tamirat ◽  
Antonio Jiménez-Carrascosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Core State ◽  
Computational Tools ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
The Core ◽  
Continuous Energy ◽  
Sodium Fast Reactor ◽  
Computer Codes ◽  
Calibration And Verification

Abstract In the framework of the Horizon 2020 project ESFR-SMART (2017-2021), the European Sodium Fast Reactor (ESFR) core was updated through a safety-related modification and optimization of the core design from the earlier FP7 CP-ESFR project (2009-2013). This study is dedicated to neutronic analyses of the improved ESFR core design. The conducted work is reported in two parts. Part I deals with the evaluation of the safety-related neutronic parameters of the fresh Beginning-of-Life (BOL) core carried out by 8 organizations using both continuous energy Monte Carlo and deterministic computer codes. In addition to the neutronics characterization of the core, a special emphasis was put on the calibration and verification of the computational tools involved in the analyses. Part II is devoted to once-through and realistic batch-wise burnup calculations aiming at the establishing of the equilibrium core state, which will later serve as a basis for detailed safety analyses.

scholarly journals ESFR-SMART Core Safety Measures and Their Preliminary Assessment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei Rineiski ◽  
Clément Mériot ◽  
Marco Marchetti ◽  
Jiri Krepel ◽  
Christine Coquelet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Minor Actinides ◽  
Preliminary Assessment ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
The Core ◽  
Severe Accidents ◽  
Sodium Fast Reactor ◽  
Void Effect

Abstract A large 3600 MW-thermal European Sodium Fast Reactor (ESFR) concept has been studied in Horizon-2020 ESFR-SMART (ESFR Safety Measures Assessment and Research Tools) project since September 2017, following an earlier EURATOM project, CP-ESFR. In the paper, we describe new ESFR core safety measures focused on prevention and mitigation of severe accidents. In particular, we propose a new core configuration for reducing the sodium void effect, introduce passive shutdown systems, and implement special paths in the core for facilitation of molten fuel discharge in order to avoid re-criticalities after a hypothetical severe accident. We describe and assess the control and shutdown system, and consider options for burning minor actinides.

HORIZON-2020 ESFR-SMART PROJECT ON SODIUM FAST REACTOR SAFETY: STATUS AFTER FIRST 15 MONTHS

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019.27 (0) ◽  
pp. 2181 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Mikityuk ◽  
E. Girardi ◽  
J. Krepel ◽  
E. Bubelis ◽  
E. Fridman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Reactor Safety ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Sodium Fast Reactor

scholarly journals Sodium fast reactor gaps analysis of computer codes and models for accident analysis and reactor safety.

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Carbajo ◽  
Hae-Yong Jeong ◽  
Roald Wigeland ◽  
Michael Corradini ◽  
Rodney Cannon Schmidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Accident Analysis ◽  
Reactor Safety ◽  
Sodium Fast Reactor ◽  
Computer Codes

scholarly journals Numerical Investigation of Corium Coolability in Core Catcher: Sensitivity to Modeling Parameters

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liancheng Guo ◽  
Andrei Rineiski
Keyword(s):  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mass Transfer Process ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Liquid Sodium ◽  
Numerical Experience ◽  
The Core ◽  
Sodium Fast Reactor ◽  
Core Catcher ◽  
Fuel Pin

To avoid settling of molten materials directly on the vessel wall in severe accident sequences, the implementation of a ‘core catcher’ device in the lower plenum of sodium fast reactor designs is considered. The device is to collect, retain and cool the debris, created when the corium falls down and accumulates in the core catcher, while interacting with surrounding coolant. This Fuel-Coolant Interaction (FCI) leads to a potentially energetic heat and mass transfer process which may threaten the vessel integrity. For simulations of severe accidents, including FCI, the SIMMER code family is employed at KIT. SIMMER-III and SIMMER-IV are advanced tools for the core disruptive accidents (CDA) analysis of liquid-metal fast reactors (LMFRs) and other GEN-IV systems. They are 2D/3D multi-velocity-field, multiphase, multicomponent, Eulerian, fluid dynamics codes coupled with a fuel-pin model and a space- and energy-dependent neutron kinetics model. However, the experience of SIMMER application to simulation of corium relocation and related FCI is limited. It should be mentioned that the SIMMER code was not firstly developed for the FCI simulation. However, the related models show its basic capability in such complicate multiphase phenomena. The objective of the study was to preliminarily apply this code in a large-scale simulation. An in-vessel model based on European Sodium Fast Reactor (ESFR) was established and calculated by the SIMMER code. In addition, a sensitivity analysis on some modeling parameters is also conducted to examine their impacts. The characteristics of the debris in the core catcher region, such as debris mass and composition are compared. Besides that, the pressure history in this region, the mass of generated sodium vapor and average temperature of liquid sodium, which can be considered as FCI quantitative parameters, are also discussed. It is expected that the present study can provide some numerical experience of the SIMMER code in plant-scale corium relocation and related FCI simulation.

Modeling of Reactivity Effects and Transient Behaviour of Large Sodium Fast Reactor

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Ponomarev ◽  
Konstantin Mikityuk
Keyword(s):  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Core Model ◽  
Primary System ◽  
Control Rod ◽  
Transient Behaviour ◽  
The Core ◽  
Sodium Fast Reactor ◽  
Reactivity Coefficients ◽  
Core Conditions ◽  
Point Kinetics

Abstract In the paper the reactivity characteristics of the core of the large sodium fast reactor Superphenix (SPX) were evaluated and compared with available experimental data. The analysis was performed using the TRACE system code modified for the fast reactor applications. The simplified core model was developed aiming to overcome the lack of detailed information on design and realistic core conditions. Point Kinetics neutronic model with all relevant reactivity feedbacks was used to calculate transient power. The paper focuses on challenging issue of modelling of the transient thermal responses of primary system structural elements resulting in reactivity feedbacks specific to such large fast reactor which cannot be neglected. For these effects, the model was equipped with dedicated heat structures to reproduce important feedbacks due to vessel wall, diagrid, strongback, control rod drive lines thermal expansion. Peculiarly, application of the model was considered for a whole range of core conditions from zero power to 100% nominal. The developed core model allowed reproducing satisfactorily the core reactivity balance between zero power at 180?C and full power conditions. Additionally, the reactivity coefficients k, g, h at three power levels were calculated and satisfactory agreement with experimental measurements was also observed. The study demonstrated feasibility of application of relatively simple model with adjusted parameters for analysis of different conditions of very complex system.

Analytical and Computational Analysis of Turbulent Bouyant Jets in the Containment Atmosphere

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Deri ◽  
Matteo Bucci ◽  
Etienne Studer ◽  
Daniele Abdo
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Computational Analysis ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Buoyant Jets ◽  
Computational Tools ◽  
Experimental Campaign ◽  
Hydraulic Conditions ◽  
Computer Codes ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd

In case of severe accident, complex thermal-hydraulics phenomena are expected to occur in the containment atmosphere. To investigate and understand these phenomena, fundamental for nuclear safety and design, major efforts are being spent all over the world. A new OECD project, named SETH-2, is conceived to generate relevant experimental data, useful to improve the modeling capabilities of the computer codes aimed to predict post-accident containment thermal-hydraulic conditions. The Commissariat a` l’Energie Atomique (CEA) contributes to the project performing experiments within the large scale MISTRA facility. Tests are proposed to investigate mixing phenomena promoted in a stratified containment. In particular, one of these test series concerns the interaction of buoyant jets with a stratified atmosphere. The present work is aimed to develop and validate computational tools useful to support the design of this experimental campaign and to analyze the actual MISTRA tests. In this aim, two different models have been implemented for turbulent buoyant jets in a stratified atmosphere: an engineering analytical model for a fast characterization of flow structures and a finite elements computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model that allows a detailed analysis of local phenomena. The models have been successfully validated for vertical buoyant jets in uniform atmosphere. Further experimental and numerical activities are illustrated, aimed to carry out the validation with stratified atmosphere and inclined injections.

Alternative Absorber Materials for Control Rods in ALFRED

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Guo ◽  
Xin Jin ◽  
Kuaiyuan Feng ◽  
Hanyang Gu
Keyword(s):  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Power Distribution ◽  
Operating Life ◽  
Insertion Depth ◽  
Control Rod ◽  
The Core ◽  
Sodium Fast Reactor ◽  
Reference Design ◽  
Core Characteristics ◽  
Control Rods

Abstract The next-generation reactors require improved safety performance and longer cycle length, which initiate the research on alternative absorber materials. In this context, potential absorber materials including borides (B4C, HfB2, and ZrB2), rare earth oxides (Eu2O3, Gd2O3, Sm2O3, and Dy2TiO5), metals/alloys (Hf and AIC), and metal hydride (HfHx) were compared in a large sodium fast reactor. The design of control rods for Generation-IV fast reactors strongly depends on the core characteristics. In this paper, some alternative absorbers are assessed in a lead fast reactor ALFRED using depletion capability in the Monte-Carlo particle transport code OpenMC. Results show that the ALFRED reference control rod design with B4C largely satisfies the shutdown and operation requirements. 60% 10B enriched HfB2 and HfH1.18 can replace the operation part of the reference design. In the future, the safe operating life of B4C and HfB2 should be assessed taking into account the irradiation-induced swelling, temperature margin, and gas release. HfH1.18 has a limited and local influence on the core power distribution. Eu2O3 has little loss on the absorption ability after 5 cycle irradiation. This oxide absorber satisfies the shutdown function even with only half control rod insertion, while its critical insertion depth at beginning of the cycle should be increased to realize reactivity compensation function.

Word from the Horizon-2020 EU ESFR-SMART Project Coordinator

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantin Mikityuk
Keyword(s):  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Project Coordinator ◽  
Support Organizations ◽  
Sodium Fast Reactor ◽  
Medium Enterprise ◽  
Radiation Science ◽  
Asme Journal ◽  
Research Centres

Abstract This Special Issue of the ASME Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science includes 2 editorials and 25 technical papers presenting main achievements of the Horizon-2020 European Union ESFR-SMART project (European Sodium Fast Reactor Safety Measures Assessment and Research Tools) supported by the EURATOM grant and launched in September 2017. ESFR-SMART gathers a consortium of 19 organizations (see Figure 1): Research centres, industries, universities, Technical and Scientific Support Organizations as well as Small to Medium Enterprise aiming at enhancing further the safety of Generation-IV Sodium Fast Reactors (SFRs) and, in particular, of the commercial-size European Sodium Fast Reactor (ESFR) in accordance with the European Sustainable Nuclear Industrial Initiative (ESNII) roadmap.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document